Under the Mud
by Splitbeak
Summary: A visit to a village covered in mud leads to a captured Colonel, and an unexpected alliance with an old enemy. Shep whump. Dark fic.
1. Mud City

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of it's characters.

_Hey, this is my first fic, so go easy on me. I hope you enjoy. _

**Chapter One: Mud City**

The walk between the town and Stargate was only twenty minutes. It was quite possibly the shortest walk any Atlantis team had yet to suffer on a mission. Predictably this led to one very happy astrophysicist.

"Ah, the smell of another pathetic civilization in the morning… just what the body needs, two parts stupidity, one part filth. Would sanitation really kill anyone? Honestly?" Okay, so maybe not so happy.

"You know McKay, sanitation's not all it's cracked up to be. Romans went crazy from poisoning from the lead in their aqueducts." If there was one thing Sheppard could be relied upon for, it was a random retort that neither of his two non-Earth based teammates would understand.

"Yes, thank you Colonel, that was because they drank from it. And when did you become such a history buff anyway?" The accusing face was already half buried in a power bar.

Looking at the small, but relatively busy town, Sheppard figured perhaps this time McKay's comments weren't so far off. Everything from the slanted, thatched roofs to the mud brick walls, to the flooded mud streets, was covered in filth. Every last item of clothing was caked in mud.

The denizens of the village looked worse than their architecture. They moved through the ankle deep mud with a weary gait that spoke of hard times that promised no end. Their eyes had sunken so far as to be nothing but shadows on already gaunt faces.

"Yeah." McKay had stopped eating his power bar and returned it to his vest half-eaten. "Somehow Sheppard, I don't think these people are going to have anything to trade. Hell, even if by some trick of fate these people actually have produce to spare, I wouldn't trust it anyway."

"Dr. McKay is right, it is unlikely these people will have anything of worth to trade." Teyla was looking around, obviously taking in everything. "However, they are clearly in need of the assistance we can provide. Do not overlook the value of a debt."

A thin, wizened old man had caught site of the team and was ambling their way. Except for a few wisps of white hair, the man was brown from head to foot, something no one believed for a moment was his natural coloring.

"Ah… greetings?" The man spoke hesitantly, lines of confusion etched deeply into his brow.

"Hi, I'm Colonel John Sheppard. This is my team, Dr. McKay, Ronon, and Teyla. We're explorers and we've just come through the Stargate, looking for friends and trading partners. We thought we'd just see the sights."

"The Stargate?"

"The Ring of the Ancestors." McKay rolled his eyes at the friendly smile on Teyla's face as she spoke.

"The Ancestors! Ah, yes. Yes, yes. We know of them. Come, welcome to Nultara. I am Hazzan, the elder of this village, if you will. It has been so long since we have had visitors, other than the Wraith, that is." The laugh he admitted vaguely had Sheppard worried for the elder's sanity. He wasn't blind to the shift in attitude once the Ancients were mentioned.

"The Wraith come here often, do they?" McKay asked worriedly, checking the sky as if darts were suddenly about to appear.

"Oh, far too often I am afraid." The old man sighed. "In my eighty some years I have been an unfortunate survivor of no less than six cullings."

"Six? In so little time? How can your population possibly survive that?" McKay's suspicious mode began to check in, and Sheppard wondered how long until the usual paranoia settled in to complicate any possible negotiations. Then again, he wasn't so sure his teammate was overreacting as much as usual.

"Ho, I'd hardly say we are really surviving. More like hanging on as best we can." Hazzan gestured sluggishly about his village. "When I was but a boy this was a merry place. So many years ago… good times. Yes, peaceful days. But, surely such hard times have struck many worlds?"

"The Wraith are culling earlier than most worlds have anticipated, this is true. But your village seems to be suffering worse than most. My people were left untouched by the Wraith for over a generation before they returned." Teyla seemed to be unaware of the wariness her teammates felt.

"So long without the Wraith," Hazzan sounded wistful. "Then you are truly blessed." Hazzan's gaze sharpened ever so slightly as he looked at Sheppard and asked, "And you, Colonel, is your world so free?"

"Well, we have our ups and downs." Despite the almost grandfather-like vibes Hazzan was emitting, Sheppard could not help but feel extra cautious. Something about Hazzan wasn't sitting right. Sheppard exchanged a glance with Ronon, and knew the runner was sharing his tension.

Hazzan led the team to what seemed to be the central building in town, a two-story collection of mud that most likely served as a combination of pub, inn, and town hall. Turning to McKay, Sheppard indicated the sensor the scientist was holding. "Anything coming up on that."

McKay frowned. "There're some small readings spaced out, negligible amounts of power." Sheppard appeared to relax at this. "Of course, these readings are all underground." Every member of the team stopped to look at each other, knowing the same thought was going through each of their heads. Genii. Or a people with the same strategy.

"Exactly how strong are or aren't these power signatures, McKay?" Sheppard asked between ground teeth.

McKay shook his head. "Too small to be Genii, or anything radioactive."

"McKay I want you to take a look around the village, see if you see anything worth attention. Ronon, go with him just to be safe. Stay in radio contact. We've had too many bad experiences with sneaky people."

"Right." The first word Ronon had spoken all day. Wow.

"Where are they going?" Hazzan asked as he entered the room to see two of his guests leaving.

"They just wanted to take a look around. Like I said, we're explorers." Ah, Sheppard and his easy grin.

:x x x x x x x:

After an hour of searching and schmoozing the team regrouped at the pub/inn. "So what did you find?" Sheppard asked McKay.

"Well, let's see. First we found some mud, and then there was mud, and oh yeah, more mud." He roughly wiped at the brown covering his sleeves, then began angrily munching on his power bar again. Sheppard was actually somewhat impressed that he'd refrained from eating in front of these obviously hungry people.

Ronon crossed his arms as he addressed Sheppard "We looked around the entire village and the perimeter; there's nothing here. We should leave."

"We promised Elder Hazzan that we would stay for supper. Apparently the sunsets are quite a display this time of the year." Teyla informed her team.

"Sunsets? We're staying for sunsets?" McKay was quite indignant at the idea.

"No, we're staying because there's some Ancient writing along the back wall behind the bar, and I want you to translate it." Sheppard looked at McKay. "If it's nothing, we'll leave. If it is, we'll stay until you finish translating."

"Or, we could just take pictures, and I can translate it back in my lab."

"If we leave before Hazzan's supper, he won't want us to return. If you discover anything worth our while in the text, it will be conducive to have positive relations with these people." Teyla explained.

"Huh, well the food better be better than the people." He snorted. "We'll probably get tapeworms or some other alien parasite."

"Then get to work so we'll know how soon we can leave." Sheppard pointed to the wall. Reluctantly McKay began his translations.

:x x x x x x x:

"Has your friend found whatever it is you are looking for?"

Sheppard turned to see a pretty young woman standing before him, her eyes darting between him and McKay. "I'm sure he will let us know the instant he has." Oh which Sheppard had no doubt, knowing McKay wanted to leave a.s.a.p.

The woman stared a Sheppard for a moment, then flashed him a very inviting smile. "I am Dala. It is a pleasure to meet you, Colonel Sheppard."

Sheppard wanted to roll his eyes and hide his face. McKay would never let him live this down. Captain Kirk moment number one of this visit.

"Would you care to sit with me at the dinner tonight Colonel? I have helped to prepare it. I've actually made one of my best dishes, hemyas, and I have to say, I do know how to cook." Dala had her arm draped around the Colonel's, who was looking at Teyla for help, and receiving only a grin in return.

The dinner was set about a long wooden table, and everyone from the village seemed to be coming in to eat it. "Dinners are always communal here, Colonel." Dala smiled, swaying as if dancing her way to the table.

The only food set out so far were bowls of vegetables that had seen better days, and some not-too-horribly-stale bread with strange blue cornels in the center. Three women brought out pots of stew from the kitchens. They were steaming, and actually smelled okay. Looking at it reminded Sheppard of the mud outside, though.

The smell of the incoming food was the only clue McKay needed to know that dinner was about to begin. Rejoining his teammates in record time, they sat around the head of the table with their hosts.

"Did you find what you were looking for Doctor McKay?" Dala asked Rodney with her friendly smile.

"Yes, and at the same time, a horrible resounding no." He looked at Sheppard. "This was an Ancient science outpost. Apparently they were experimenting with the local crops to find a more efficient food source, but nothing that even hints at a power source. Ronon and I looked all over today for signs of ruins or leftover technology, but nada."

"What would you expect to see Doctor from a civilization that lived here thousands of years ago? They're called _Ancestors_ for a reason. We build off what was left from their time." She gave him a deprecating grin. "Why do you think we have nothing?" Tears fell from Dala's eyes as she gave way to waves of laughter.

"Dala," Hazzan sighed, "Do forgive my granddaughter, please, for her lack of respect. The few things we have found from the Ancestors no longer work, and are kept for sentimental value, or spare parts. Such a waste."

"What things? Why didn't you mention this before? Can we see them?" McKay half rose from his seat and leaned towards Hazzan.

Hazzan's face was the epitome of a confused elder, but he slowly rose from the bench, and mumbling, went off into the kitchen area. He returned shortly with a gadget no larger than his palm. It was probably the first thing the team had seen on this planet without a trace of mud on it.

Hazzan handed it sadly to McKay, who inspected it closely, food forgotten. After a minute of not being able to make it work, McKay removed the back portion and fingered the control crystals. After moving a couple of them around, he replaced the back and it began to glow a soft blue as the screen turned on. Hazzan and Dala both gasped.

"The power's very low, so it probably won't last long. It looks like a sensor designed to analyze layers of sediment at a time without having to dig any of it up." He turned to Sheppard. "Here, see if you can direct it, it's not responding to me very well."

"I don't understand." Hazzan looked between Sheppard and McKay. "Why would the Colonel be able to make it work better than you, Doctor?"

"It's something we call the ATA gene. It's basically what allows a person to make the Ancient devices work. Only a few people are born with it. Colonel Sheppard is one of them." McKay explained.

"And yet, you made it work. Therefore, don't you have this gene as well?" Dala asked.

"I do, but mine is artificial." At their blank expressions, McKay added, "We have the ability to give a person this gene with technology, but it isn't as strong as someone who is born with it naturally. And of course, the treatment doesn't work on everybody."

"Amazing, this is wonderful." Hazzan held his hand out for the device, and Sheppard returned it to him before really studying it. Hazzan seemed disappointed as the sensor turned off promptly after leaving Sheppard's hand.

"The Ancestors were very guarded with their technology. They designed it so only the could use it, to protect it from the Wraith." Teyla explained.

"Ah, I see." Hazzan's shoulders slumped, and he signaled a waitress standing by the kitchen. "I think it's time for Dala's hemyas now." The girl smiled at the elder and went to the kitchen to fetch it.

"Enough talk of such things, we are here to enjoy a meal and welcome our new friends." Here, Hazzan stood. "A toast, to our new friends from the City of the Ancestors!"

'Cheers' and 'Here, here's' rang out as Hazzan resumed his seat.

The hemyas turned out to be some minced meat covered in thin gravy. It didn't taste too bad, but the gravy seemed to linger in Sheppard's throat. Looking at his teammates, he saw McKay rubbing his throat and Teyla coughing discretely into her hand. Ronon was taking an unusually long swig of his water.

"Do you like it Colonel?" Dala asked.

"It's very good." _Be polite, be polite._ "What exactly is it?"

Dala giggled, "A good cook never tells her secrets!"

The meal progressed without incident, conversation varying between friendly small talk and trade barter. As expected, the Nultarans didn't have any food with which to trade, but they did actually put their mud to good use. Their ceramic making skills were quite magnificent. If given the designs, the Nultarans had the proper materials to make their own ancient devices, minus the control crystals. It could be useful for spare parts, at the very least.

Sheppard was beginning to feel drowsy, the hemyas gravy a warmth in his throat that was lulling him to sleep. He felt someone take his arm and he was led up a flight of stairs. Remembering his team, he turned around clumsily to see them following, also half supported by some villagers. Focusing on the face belonging to the arm leading him, Sheppard tried to put a name to the aged face. _Hah, Hazz, Hazzi…_

The hand was pushing him to lie down, and Sheppard felt softness under his head. _Pillow, right bed._ "Goodnight Colonel, we will continue our discussions in the morning."

_So tired. Why am I so…?_ Before he could finish, sleep overcame him.

:x x x x x x x:

Hands were grabbing him roughly around his arms and legs. He tried to open his eyes, but they wouldn't cooperate. His body felt so heavy, too heavy. Something was wrong. He began thrashing, trying desperately to open his eyes.

"He's waking up!" Someone hissed.

There was a pause, and then something was pressed against the front of his face. It smothered his nose and mouth. Instinctively he tried to hold his breath, but the sweet smell was everywhere. He tossed his head from side to side, but all he found was the clawing, sickening darkness.

:x x x x x x x:

The smoke woke Ronon Dex abruptly. After years of running, he was instantly alert. Black smoke was rising in between the floorboards beneath them, and from the walls around them. A loud thud, and Ronon recognized the sound of support beams falling.

Running over to his slumbering teammates, Ronon shook them roughly. "Get up, we have to get out of here!" Teyla woke quickly, but looked around groggily. McKay stirred, but couldn't get his eyes open.

"Doctor McKay!" Teyla had joined Ronon in his attempts to rouse the scientist.

"Where's Sheppard?" Ronon looked around for his CO, but could find no sign of him. "No time." With a grunt of frustration, Ronon hauled the dazed scientist over his shoulder and ran with Teyla down the stairs.

"Sheppard!" Both Ronon and Teyla called for the man in hopes he could hear them, but the pilot remained MIA. Flames surrounded the team, and the smoke clouded their vision. Barging ahead, Ronon plowed his way to the front door of the inn, and kicked it out of his way.

They sat in the muddy street in front of the building, gasping at the fresh air. As soon as she could breathe, Teyla turned her soot-streaked face to McKay. "Doctor McKay, are you alright?"

The doctor was starting to come around, and looked at her through half-open eyes. "Whaz goin on?" He slurred.

"It's alright, Rodney, just rest." Teyla patted Rodney on the shoulder and looked at her other companion. "He was clearly drugged. I think we all were."

Ronon just nodded. "Where's Sheppard?"

The villagers were starting to come out of their homes and were screaming in horror as their central building burned to the ground about them. "What have you done!" One man shouted at them.

Hazzan came running towards the team, his face red with anger. "What have you done! We invite you into our homes and share what little we have to share, and this is how you repay us! Get out! You and yours are not welcome here!"

Ronon grabbed the screaming elder by the collar and shook him. "Where's Sheppard?"

"I don't know or care where your leader is. You have wrought yet more destruction on a village that can ill afford it. It is a sign from the Ancestors. Be gone!" Hazzan was almost apoplectic in his anger. It was funny from the stick of a man, but it was not funny coming from the mob that had quickly surrounded them.

McKay began violently coughing and looking around. "We need to get him back to Atlantis." Teyla said to Ronon.

"I'm not leaving without Sheppard." Ronon bit out.

"Oh, you are leaving alright!" Hazzan cried as one of the villagers threw a rock that hit Ronon square in the face. He stumbled and released the elder, moving for the teen that had thrown the rock. Before he had gone three steps, more rocks flew his way, and a few fell towards Teyla and McKay.

Recognizing a no win situation, the runner turned back to his team and helped McKay to stand. When the scientist couldn't, Ronon again threw him over his shoulders.

The mob followed them to the gate, throwing rocks and screaming the whole way.

"We will come back with reinforcements and find Colonel Sheppard." Teyla promised Ronon. "We do not leave men behind."

Ronon merely grunted as they stepped through the event horizon.


	2. Where's Sheppard?

_Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to me. Yikes updating on my birthday, I have no life. LOL. Thanks everyone for the awesome reviews. Seriously, I think I've set a record for fastest time finishing another chapter. You guys rock!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis, etc…_

**Chapter 2: Where's Sheppard?**

"Unscheduled off-world activation!" The tech announced.

Dr. Weir stood from her desk and walked briskly to the console, her reports forgotten. After Colonel Sheppard's team had missed their scheduled check-in yesterday, she was more than a little anxious, given the team's penchant for trouble.

"Receiving IDC. It's Teyla."

"Lower the shield." Weir commanded. Sweat made her hands stick to the handrails she was tightly squeezing. _Would there be injuries yet again?_ She waited to see her cocky second-in-command step through the gate, and fear clawed at her stomach when she saw the two blackened faces and one limp body come through.

"Medical team to the Gate Room." Weir raced down the steps to the team. Ronon gently laid McKay on the floor, and she was relieved to see him twitch around a bit.

Teyla looked at Doctor Weir. "The Colonel is missing. We believe either someone or the villagers themselves may have kidnapped him before setting fire to the inn where we were staying."

"Are you all alright? What happened to Rodney?" No one was bleeding seriously, which was slightly unusual, though a welcome relief, for this team. Their faces were however, streaked black with what looked like soot, and Ronon had a bleeding gash on his forehead. The blood ran in rivets down his face mixing with the soot like a deranged Picasso painting, but the runner appeared unfazed by his injury. _Right, facial wounds always bleed a lot, doesn't mean it's serious. Get a grip Weir; you have a mission to lead._ Teyla had a similar injury on her upper arm, and was just as stoic.

"We believe that we were drugged at the dinner last night." Teyla supplied. "Ronon and I seem to have been able to fight the drug off, but Doctor McKay has yet to fully awaken. Our other injuries came from rocks throw at us by the villagers who insisted we leave. Our lodgings were burned down just before dawn, for which the villagers hold us responsible."

At this point Beckett appeared with a gurney and hurried over to McKay. "What happened?" he asked. Teyla repeated what she had told Dr. Weir. "Right. Rodney can you hear me?" Beckett asked while gently tapping McKay on the face.

McKay's eyelids flickered as he turned his head to look at the doctor, but he didn't answer. He scrunched his eyebrows as though trying to figure something out, then mumbled, "Carson?" Beckett had to lean over to hear him, but he smiled with relief when he did.

"You're going to be fine Rodney, just rest easy." Beckett turned to the other two members of the team, taking in their bleeding arms and faces. "Are you two alright?"

"My arm is fine; it is just in need of a simple bandage. I feel a little light headed from whatever we were drugged with, but otherwise I am well." Teyla answered.

"We need to get back and find Sheppard." Ronon demanded to Weir, ignoring Beckett's attempts to examine him.

"And we will, but let's take care of you three first." Her voice was firm.

"Help me get him onto the gurney." Beckett lifted McKay's shoulders as Ronon lifted his feet. "Right, now you two need to come to the infirmary too. After I patch those up," he indicated their injuries, "I want to run some blood work and make sure you're all really alright."

And with that, the four silently set off towards the infirmary. Dr. Weir stared after them for a moment, taking in all that had happened. Then she tapped her radio, "Major Lorne, report to the Control Room."

"Yes, ma'am." She heard in response. They had a rescue to plan.

x X x X x X x

Three stitches to Ronon's head were almost impossible to insert, as the runner would not sit still. Neither he nor Teyla would allow any of Beckett's staff to see to their injuries until Beckett assured them that McKay was indeed all right. Teyla's arm indeed only required a standard dressing, as she had predicted, along with a dose of antibiotics to be safe.

Beckett took blood samples from the team, then allowed Ronon and Teyla to use the infirmary showers to get cleaned up. A nurse helped Teyla wrap her dressing in plastic to keep it dry. As she stepped in to the shower, Teyla turned the water on a little hotter than she normally liked it, intending to relax her tensed muscles. Instead, all she felt was a reminder of the flames that she had awoken to this morning. Changing her mind, she set the temperature slightly cooler than her norm.

She felt the light-headedness that had been plaguing her all morning, courtesy of a certain drug, fade away as she scrubbed the black reminders of Nultara from her skin. She told herself the angry red marks her scrubbing left behind had nothing to do with her fear for Sheppard. Despite her attempts to reassure herself, the disappearance of the Colonel continued to weigh heavily on her mind as she toweled herself dry and redressed in a clean uniform the same nurse had left for her. Ronon met her in the infirmary, having changed back into his same clothes. At her look, he said, "I'll clean them later,"

Dr. Beckett was with Dr. McKay as they returned to the main section of the infirmary. A different nurse was washing McKay's arms, having already cleaned his face. Both doctors turned at their arrival, though the dark haired nurse continued working. McKay's reaction time was slow, almost lethargic, but he was definitely more aware than he had been a mere half hour ago in the Gate Room. "I'm glad to see you are feeling better Dr. McKay." Teyla smiled wearily at him.

"You alright?" Ronon asked.

Swallowing several times, McKay looked around searching for something, and apparently not finding it, rasped, "Where's Sheppard?" His volume was lower than normal, and his glassy eyes made it quite clear that he was not entirely free of the drug yet. The nurse paused in her washing to reach for a cup of water, which she dutifully held for the doctor to drink.

"Still on the planet, we believe." Teyla answered, squeezing his shoulder. McKay shut his eyes tightly, clearing trying to process everything he was being told, plus the certain chaos that his own mind was producing while trying to contribute to the conversation. "We will get him back, Dr. McKay."

"I've run tests on the blood from the three of you. I found remains of an alien sedative." Dr. Beckett quietly interjected. "It's mostly cleared from your systems," he pointed to Teyla and Ronon, "and it is leaving, though slower, Rodney's system." He gave McKay a reassuring pat on the shoulder, paralleling Teyla's previous contact.

"Why did it affect McKay so much more than the rest of us?" Ronon asked.

"Well, considering if it was in your food like you suggest, I'm going to venture that Rodney ate a lot more of it," Knowing grins appeared on several faces, "and sometimes certain drugs affect people more strongly than others. Rodney's never had a very high tolerance for medication."

"So he'll be okay?" Ronon clarified.

"Aye, I believe so; Mary and I are taking good care of him." He nudged the nurse playfully. "Just to be safe, we'll continue to monitor him carefully until he's one hundred percent again." Beckett smiled gently at his patient, who was torn between misery and embarrassment.

Secure in the knowledge that McKay was in good hands, Ronon's mind began to focus on his other friend in need. He had to get back to the planet and find Sheppard. And to do that, first things first, "Are we free to go?" he asked, knowing he would leave regardless of the answer.

"Aye, but I expect you to report back to the infirmary if you feel anything unusual." Beckett allowed. In truth, he would have preferred to keep them all in the infirmary to make sure there were no long term effects from the unknown drug, but Beckett had been working with the military long enough to know when a little risk was acceptable when other matters were at stake, such as missing Colonels. _Besides, _he comforted himself, _if there were to be an effect, Rodney would most likely exhibit more severe symptoms first, and would be less likely (or capable) of hiding them._

Teyla nodded at the doctor's command, relieved that she would not have to escape the infirmary against the doctor's wishes. "Very well, we shall join Dr. Weir and Major Lorne in the Conference Room. I hope you feel better soon, Dr. McKay." A limp wave was the reply.

x X x X x X x

"It is disturbing seeing Dr. McKay so subdued." Teyla remarked as she and her teammate traveled to the meeting.

"He'll recover." Was the terse response. Ronon's step was angry, leaving no doubt in Teyla's mind that he felt guilty for leaving the planet without the Colonel.

"There was little else we could do; we did not abandon him." Teyla assured her teammate. "We will get him back." Ronon merely grunted and fingered his knife.

As they entered the Conference Room, they saw Dr. Weir, Major Lorne, and Colonel Caldwell reviewing the pre-mission briefing the team had received before heading to Nultara. "Ronon, Teyla, good of you to join us," Dr. Weir greeted. "I take it you're both alright?" At their nods, she continued, "Good. Well then, perhaps you can fill us in on what happened on P2J-697?"

Teyla nodded. "Not far from the gate we came across the Nultarans. My people have had no prior meetings with this planet, so I have no background information to offer. The village showed no obvious signs of advanced technology and the locals were relatively friendly. Colonel Sheppard and I spent most of our time with Hazzan, the village elder. Hazzan was quite friendly to us, though he did seem most surprised that we would bother to visit a people as impoverished as Nultarans. While Colonel Sheppard and I laid out the preliminary negotiations, Dr. McKay and Ronon scouted around the village for any power readings."

"And did you find any?" Weir asked.

"There were several small power signatures across the village, but none of them were significant. The comparison McKay used was 'not enough to charge a cell phone battery'." The runner snorted, "Whatever that means."

After a moment of silence it became apparent that Ronon had no interest in continuing, so Teyla resumed control of the report. "Some of the villagers had a few pieces of Ancient technology left over from when the Ancients lived there. Hazzan showed Dr. McKay and Colonel Sheppard an Ancient scanner during dinner; however he was unable to activate it, as I believe the same of everyone else in the village. He did seem particularly excited when Dr. McKay and the Colonel were able to operate it, though he became quickly disappointed when Dr. McKay informed him that Colonel Sheppard was born with the ability that his people lacked."

"Did you tell him about the gene therapy?" Major Lorne asked.

Nodding, she continued, "We did indeed. However Hazzan showed no interest in it once it became apparent that Colonel Sheppard could still do things that Dr. McKay could not."

"So do you think it's possible that Hazzan might have captured Colonel Sheppard for his ATA gene?" Caldwell asked.

"It is possible," Teyla agreed, "However, I am not sure how much Hazzan could achieve by it. The most advanced Ancient device any of us saw was that scanner. Its purpose was to scan soil contents. I know that can be useful to a farming people, but the advantages of a friendship with Atlantis would easily outweigh such a minor advancement."

"More importantly, do we have any reason to suspect that Colonel Sheppard is no longer on the planet?" Dr. Weir asked.

Teyla and Ronon exchanged a look with each other before shrugging. "I cannot say for certain, Dr. Weir," Teyla spoke, "And it is always a possibility, but it is most likely that the Colonel is still there." Ronon nodded his agreement.

"Ma'am, I suggest my team and Lt. Johnson's team take a jumper to the planet along with Dr. McKay if he's up to it, or Dr. Zelenka if he's not, with a life signs detector and look for the Colonel." Lorne looked at Teyla, "Did it appear that there was ever a time of day, say for a religious ceremony, where everyone in the town would be gathered at the same time."

Ronon shook his head. Lorne sighed, "Oh well, that would have made it too easy. Okay then, one team will be in the jumper searching the surrounding area, and one team will search the village on foot."

"The Nultarans will not welcome us back to their village." Teyla informed Major Lorne.

Lorne just shrugged. "They've kidnapped my CO, as far as I'm concerned, that's an act of war against Atlantis." Lorne looked to Weir for approval.

"Colonel Caldwell?" Weir asked, not giving an indication one way or the other.

"I agree with Major Lorne." Caldwell had absolutely no reservations about taking Nultara by force if necessary.

"Very well, Major, you have a go."

Lorne nodded sharply and turned to leave. Teyla and Ronon followed.

x X x X x X x

The sight of the smooth beige walls was the first thing Sheppard saw, even before he realized he was awake. The walls were soothing in their familiarity, and he was reminded of his room in Atlantis. _Atlantis?_

Blinking slowly several times, Sheppard's hand moved of its own volition to wipe the grit from his eyes, the movement slow and uncoordinated. He tried to swallow, but his throat felt thick and swollen, causing him to cough. As harder coughs racked his body, thought returned and he jerked abruptly, causing his vision to swim. _Where am I? What the hell?_

The memory of hands grabbing him while he was sleeping came to him and Sheppard felt his situation becoming increasingly more unsavory by the moment. Looking around for his team, he discovered he was alone in a room that looked disturbingly like the crew quarters in Atlantis, minus the furniture.

Slowly setting his feet on the ground, Sheppard realized he was on a bed larger than those in Atlantis (the only furnishing in the room), with a surprisingly thick mattress. _Huh, wish I could have one of these back home._ His legs wobbled as he stood, but after a moment, they accepted his weight. He dizzily paced the length of the room, feeling the circulation return to his limbs, although it occurred to him after a moment that he was unable to walk in a straight line.

Taking a mental tally, Sheppard discovered his vest, jacket, and shoes were gone, along with his weapons (no surprise there). The question of his location continued to bother him. As far as he could tell, Nultara had no Ancient buildings to speak of. Had he been abducted off-world? The thought chilled him. A rescue would be very difficult if that was the case.

Having no watch to check the time, Sheppard had no idea how long he'd been out. Hours at least, but he doubted days - his body felt too strong for that. Running his hands across the blue control panel by the door, Sheppard was unable to get it to open the door. Frustrated he tried to find the panel containing the control crystals. This was shockingly easy to do, and even more easy to break into. Then he realized why: all the control crystals had been removed. _There's gotta be a manual lock on the other side of his door. Figures._

With nothing else to do, Sheppard returned to the bed to wait.

_Next chapter it will be explained… probably._


	3. Underground

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters, etc… 

**Chapter 3: Underground**

Sheppard started awake as he heard the door slowly creak open. That's funny, the doors in Atlantis don't creak. Gotta get some WD-40 from Zelenka. Then he remembered he wasn't actually in Atlantis. This décor was confusing the hell out of him in his woozy state; he'd have to talk to his mysterious captor about that.

Groggily Sheppard tried to recall when he'd fallen asleep, but his reconstructive attempts were interrupted by the force that had opened the door in the first place. Sheppard mentally slapped himself, trying to force his drugged mind into some sense of order. He knew he was in no condition to withstand an interrogation if he couldn't so much as keep track of the current. Dread filled him as all the possible worst case scenarios came to mind.

The man that entered the room however, was not what he had braced himself to expect. At only a little over five and a half feet tall with messy, brown hair dangling to his shoulders, the middle-aged man before him wasn't exactly the archetype villain. In fact, Sheppard would go so far as to call him not the least bit threatening; he was skinnier than Sheppard on a bad day, if that was even possible.

Then again, maybe that was why he'd been drugged up so thoroughly, because there was no other way this guy could take him. He was wearing the same brown clothing as many of the villagers had in Nultara, though with a good deal less mud on them, mostly just dried clumps congealed at the cuffs of the sleeves and the bottom half of the knee-high boots.

Sheppard quickly stood to face the man, and was assaulted by a wave of nausea that brought him to his knees. He was prevented from falling however, by the man's swift grabbing of his shoulders and steering towards the bed; he had clearly been prepared for the move.

"Easy, Colonel Sheppard," he soothed in a soto voice, helping him sit on the edge of the mattress. The man took a moment to study the Colonel's eyes, as if trying to determine just how lucid he was. "I must apologize for your current discomfort; Hazzan was a little overzealous in his efforts to bring you here, and I'm afraid he may have used a bit more boffa root than was necessary for your journey."

So Hazzan was involved in his little predicament, though apparently not the mastermind. Had anyone else in the village taken part in his kidnapping? Finding his voice a little parched and his throat a little sticky, he asked, "Who are you, and where am I? What have you done with my team?" He could just picture McKay waking up alone in an alien room and freaking out. Not good.

The man quickly held up his hands in a non-threatening manner, "Relax Colonel, your team is fine. They returned to their planet through the Great Ring."

"What did you do to them to get them to leave me behind?" Were they injured? Did they think he was dead? What happened that night in the village? Sheppard did not like having such questions and no answers, and the harsh voice he had delivered them in had landed him in yet another coughing fit.

Repeating his soothing gesture, the man looked Sheppard in the eye, "They are not injured Colonel, I promise you. They were told to leave, and they did. They were upset that you were not with them, but they left of their own free will." Good, then a rescue won't be long away. Lorne and Ronon will come back through the Gate and find me, assuming I haven't been gated off world. Although from the look of this place, I just might have been. The little man caught him unaware again as he was again lost in his thoughts, when he held out a canteen for Sheppard to drink from. Come on Sheppard, concentrate!

His hackles rose at the sight of the canteen. He'd been drugged enough in the past (two?) days. Where were his own supplies? With a huff, the man squatted down to converse with Sheppard at eye level. His knees gave a painful crack as he did so. Unstopping the canteen, he took a good swig of the contents and made an obvious swallow before thrusting it at Sheppard again. Cautiously Sheppard took a small sip. Plain water met his lips. It felt like heaven against his parched throat. Encouraged he took another sip. Before he was even aware of it he'd downed the whole thing.

"There, that's better Colonel. I apologize again for our methods in bringing you here, for we truly mean you no harm." He crooned as he took the canteen from Sheppard's shaking hand and returned it to his belt. "Now, as for your questions. My name is Senzen, I am a farmer, and also in charge of safeguarding Nultara's future. Hazzan is my mother's brother, if such information matters to you."

A small smile fought its way through thin, cracked lips. "And this place Colonel, is an honor most Nultarans have never beheld." He waved his arms, gesturing to the room about him. "This is the home of the Ancestors, when they lived on our world."

Gee, I would never have guessed. Sheppard fought the urge to roll his eyes, a wise decision since it just would have made him even dizzier.

Senzen appeared to be waiting for some kind of impressed response from Sheppard. Unfortunately for him, Sheppard was not new to this routine, and his feelings of caution over road those of generosity. Senzen would have to settle for, "My team looked around your planet. We didn't see any signs of Ancient structures." for a response.

Maybe this city's cloaking system is operational, and that was why we couldn't detect it? But none of the Nultarans have the gene, so who could have activated it? While Sheppard pondered over this, one thought was loud and clear in his fogged brain. ZPM, ZPM, ZPM. A facility like this would have to have one, and if the cloak was working, then it was at least somewhat charged.

Forcing himself to concentrate again, Sheppard refocused his gaze on the man in front of him. Senzen looked quite satisfied, making Sheppard wonder if he had missed something. Really, it was a very unbecoming look. "We are deep underground, Colonel. As Dr. McKay pointed out when Hazzan showed him the scanner, the Ancestors were very interested in our soil. Where better to study, then in the heart of it?"

"How did we get here?"

"There are a few shafts left behind by the Ancestors located in the caves to the east of the village that lead here. My family discovered this place in my grandfather's time, and we have been safeguarding it for someone who could make it work since." Senzen seemed awfully proud of himself. Nothing like a braggart to get information out of. If we are close enough to these shafts, I may be able to make a break for it.

A headache was starting to join the dizziness that plagued Sheppard, making him feel impatient and irritable. Kind of like Rodney. Rubbing his hand across his forehead and pinching the bridge of his nose, he gritted, "And the reason you brought me here was…?"

"As I'm sure Hazzan informed you, what was left to us by the Ancestors can not be used by just anyone. To out shame, the Ancestors have not deemed anyone of Nultara worthy of their gifts. They left us so much, and we are unable to use any of it!" Senzen was literally almost pulling his hair out of his scalp by the end of his tirade. Sheppard was not reassured of the sanity of his kidnapper.

They sat silently for a minute before the man seemed to come back to himself, calmly folding his hands in his lap. "My apologies, Colonel. Nultara has suffered so much, and the key to our salvation is right here at our fingertips, but at the same time forever out of our reach. I'm sure you can understand my frustration."

"Yeah, back home we have a story about a man named Tantalus who was starving and bound forever to a tree with an apple just out of his reach, leaving him to forever grope for it, and never reach it."

Senzen snapped his fingers at the Colonel. The gesture reminded him vividly of McKay when he was onto something. "Yes! That's exactly what I mean, John."

The switch to his first name was not lost on Sheppard. Now comes the good part where I get to find out what this guy actually wants from me.

"You can help us." Here Senzen leaned forward, invading Sheppard's personal space. A fanatical light lit his eyes, disturbing Sheppard more than anything so far. "There is an entire city beneath Nultara, stretching farther than I can even imagine. Underneath all those layers of mud rests a sanctuary that can shelter everyone on this world, and so many more!

Every ten years or so, our population is decimated by the Wraith cullings. Over the course of my life, I've had twenty-three brothers and sisters. I am the only one to survive until adulthood. Not all families are so fortunate as to be able to save any of the next generation. That our women are so fertile is the only reason we've survived this long.

You can change that, John. If our people could move into the Ancestral City, we'd be safe from the Wraith forever! Can you even imagine such freedom? We'd finally stand a chance at surviving, even repopulating. Imagine, giving birth to a child, knowing it would survive to bear its own. Such a simple dream, yet even that has been out of our reach for so long. Your people could not detect this city, neither will the Wraith! You can single handedly save an entire planet Colonel. Please, I beg you, consider this."

"You said we were in the Ancie- the Ancestral City right now. If we're already in it, then what do you need me to do?" Sheppard asked.

Senzen was nodding as Sheppard was talking, having already anticipated his question. "We are only at the entrance of the city. Very few people can be housed here, even for a short while. We do occasionally hide here when the Wraith cull our planet, but that can only save a very few, and it does not protect our homes at all.

We have cleared what cave-ins there are, as deep as we can go into the city, but the air is just not breathable. Our scholars who can read the Ancestral Script have told us that the city is capable of making the air breathable again, but we can not operate the city controls to make this happen."

Now it was Sheppard's turn to nod along, though not nodding too much after the first nod, which reminded him painfully of the means he was transported here in the first place. "And that's where I come in. You want me to turn on the Life Support Systems. And for the record, just how many cave-ins are we talking here?"

Senzen had to stop and consider the strange phrase the Colonel had so flippantly used. Life Support Systems. Deciding it did indeed describe the problem, he nodded in agreement. As for the cave-ins, "Very few really. Mostly they are shallow, and only appear here and there. No one I know has ever been injured cleaning them out."

"Senzen, why the kidnapping? We clearly have services to offer each other, so why act like an enemy? We came to Nultara looking for friends; we would have been happy to bring this city back on-line together." While Senzen's motives appeared noble, his reasoning was more than a little questionable. If the Nultarans were paranoid of strangers, which granted, Sheppard had encountered many times before, why show him now, rather than allowing him to leave?

Senzen studied the Colonel, assessing the truth in his words, nibbling his abused lip as he thought. Slowly, he began, "We were led to believe you would not be so benevolent…." he trailed off and seemed reluctant to finish.

"And just who has led you to believe this?" Granted, after spending five minutes with McKay (yesterday?), he wouldn't blame Senzen for doubting Atlantis' generosity. Rodney would certainly tell John to find the ZPM and run off with it to Atlantis, leaving the Nultarans to their Wraith-ridden fate. However, Sheppard also had a mini-Weir on his other shoulder arguing that he should be ethical and negotiate a mutually beneficial partnership with these people. Good thing he didn't have a third shoulder for Caldwell.

Shaking himself out of his contemplations, Senzen focused on Sheppard again with that fanatical heat. "So you are willing to do what it takes to help us?"

Oh, Sheppard really didn't like the wording to that one. But with the exit supposedly so close, Sheppard was willing to gamble a little if it would aid in an escape. At the same time, he desperately did not like the feeling of dread that welled up in his stomach under Senzen's gaze.

Feeling almost as if he was signing a deal with the devil, he agreed, "I'll take a look at your Life Support Systems and see if I can get them operational again. But I have to warn you, they may have been damaged, and if it's broken, I can't fix it."

Wojciech Kilar could have written the theme music to the burning grin that encompassed the mud man's eyes, and the insanity deeper within.

x X x X x X x

Dr. Weir's gentle knocking on the glass door jolted Carson Beckett from the exhausted sleep he'd fallen into at his desk. "Elizabeth!" He looked around quickly, obviously a little disoriented from the abrupt wake-up. If she weren't so concerned about her missing Second-In-Command, she might have laughed a little.

"Sorry to wake you, Carson."

"S'alright, dear. What can I do for you?"

"I just wanted to inform you Major Lorne's team is leaving for the planet in fifteen minutes, and to be prepared in case they find John, and need you."

"Aye, I'll be ready, 'though I hope that's not the case." Beckett indeed looked amazingly wide-awake and ready for action now.

"Good." Turning towards the exit, Weir appeared to hesitate. Turning back around, she asked, "How's Rodney?"

A little smile of amusement quirked the corner of Beckett's mouth as he watched the master diplomat fail to conceal her obvious concern for a friend. There were only so many people on Atlantis, and often those people were the only people the expedition members saw, so he didn't understand the reluctance and guilt so many of its leaders felt when they started to care deeply about certain individuals. Really, I ought to sick Heightmeyer on the lot of them.

"He's going to be fine. He probably already is fine; I'm just keeping him here overnight for observation." Dr. Weir seemed relieved to hear this.

"I'm still a little concerned about how out of the loop he was, when you reported Ronon and Teyla fully recovered hours ago." Weir confessed.

"Aye, well, part of that is my fault. It's an alien drug, so I can't always know what to expect. At first I thought Rodney was just extra groggy from consuming more of it, but when he started becoming disoriented while under my care, I checked his blood sugar levels. They were severely depleted. The drug somehow sapped almost all the sugar from Rodney's body. He wasn't too far from a coma before I realized what specifically was wrong." Beckett hung his head in shame. "It should have been one of the first things I checked. I just overlooked it."

Looking at Dr. Weir out of the corner of his eye, Beckett shook his head. "No need to chastise me any further though. I've already apologized to Rodney and received a good chewing-out from him. I'm studying every last piece I've data I've gotten from this drug, and I'm hopeful that I'll be able to create a counter drug to fight its effects should we come across it again."

Knowing Carson was berating himself more than Weir and McKay could possibly do when combined, she decided to let the issue slide. Rodney would be sure to cover any follow-up harping, whether Carson needed it or not.

"He'll be okay though?" She just needed to hear it, one more time.

"Aye." Beckett confirmed. "I gave him a large glucose injection and a good chunk of my chocolate stash. He'll be just fine." Ah, so apologies had indeed been made. "He's under strict orders to drink a lot of juice once he's released, but at least I can trust him to take care of himself when I do. Unlike a certain Colonel….

Weir nodded. "Keep up the good work Carson." She then left to see Major Lorne and Company off.

Beckett stood by himself for a minute, offering up a prayer for the safe return of John Sheppard.


	4. Rain and Shine

_Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis, etc…_

**

Chapter Four: Rain and Shine

**

The door opened when Senzen knocked, and a guard appeared. "Colonel Sheppard has agreed to help us, Tammer." Senzen informed him. The guard grinned and bent to pick up something leaning against the outside wall. His boots. The guard gave them to Senzen, who in turn returned them to Sheppard.

"I thought you would be more comfortable resting without them." Senzen prattled to Sheppard as if expecting praise for his theft. Sheppard merely grunted, something he had picked up from Ronon, as he put them on. "I've even had them cleaned for you. We have enough mud in the village, no reason to suffer it in Sanctuary."

Senzen stood with his hand extended towards Sheppard, offering the still shaky man his assistance. Sheppard just looked at the hand before pushing off the bed and moving to the wall for support.

Senzen shrugged, "This way, Colonel." as he led Sheppard through the door.

Following slowly and leaning against the wall, Sheppard paused outside the door, feigning dizziness, and assessed every piece of information he could gather. There was only one guard, and Senzen, but he could hear voices down the hall. Both Nultarans had a knife in their belts, and something holstered against their hips; he didn't know for sure what it was, but his military instincts knew it for a weapon.

The air in the hallway was stale and cold, making Sheppard shiver. "Where's my jacket?" _And the rest of my gear?_

A look of surprise passed Senzen's face, then regret. "Are you cold Colonel? I'm so sorry, how thoughtless of me. Follow me this way and that shall be amended."

Senzen turned the corner, headed in the direction of the voices. Tammer waited behind him for Sheppard to follow. Seeing little choice, Sheppard obliged, running his hands across the goose bumps on his arms.

The corridor was long and dim, lit only by a narrow stream of burning coal on either side of the floor._ For a group so worried about air consumption, they certainly waste a lot of it._

They approached a set of doors that had obviously been forced open; there was still a wooden beam wedged between them to keep them open. It was the Control Room. They entered just in front of the glass room that was Dr. Weir's office in its Atlantean counterpart. Sheppard's eyes immediately zoomed to the pit below, only to suppress a sigh of disappointment. No Stargate. _Well it would be unusual to have two Stargates in such close proximity to each other._

Seven men and two women had stopped their conversations, and were staring at the Colonel. Mud stained their clothes, but like Senzen, and now himself, their boots were clean. "My friends," Senzen announced, "Colonel Sheppard has agreed to help us."

Small cheers met this statement, the applause reverberating in Sheppard's ears like thunder claps, causing him to wince.

"Please, Colonel…." Senzen stood by a panel Sheppard recognized as Environmental Controls from Atlantis. As he made his way over to it, he didn't know if he hoped the panel worked, or if he should be praying it didn't. _If only I could just think!_

It felt as though the fog in his brain was getting thicker, the dizziness worse. _Shouldn't it be wearing off?_ Another shiver wracked his body. Or was it a shudder? Was he shuddering? What was happening?

Two hands firmly held his forearm, pulling it up to rest his hand on the panel. "Come now, Colonel, the only way to warm up is to turn on the Climate Controls."

Hands started rubbing along his upper arms, the heat of the friction felt so good. The owner of the hands pressed into his back, and he realized it was one of the women. "Turn it on, John."

_Elizabeth?_

"You can do it, Colonel. Just think 'on'."

_On?_ Warmth registered beneath his hands as the panel started to glow bright blue. Lights came on from all around, nearly blinding the occupants of the room.

A hand clapped him on the shoulder, then held firm. "Well done indeed, Colonel, well done."

"Reeva, take him back to his room, and see that he is fed." Senzen ordered the brunette pressed against Sheppard. With a satisfied smile she steered the dazed Colonel to the door and down the now bright hallway, chatting soothingly along the way.

After they left, Senzen turned to the excited group staring in wonder around the room. Yes, their years of hard work and planning were about to pay off. "Shofen, return to the village and begin the evacuation. The Mud Storms should begin tonight; the timing could not be more perfect."

Senzen shook his head. What incredible luck. Mud Storms were normally a disaster worse than the Wraith. They occurred predictably at the beginning and end of every harvest, encompassing everything. For once, that storm was going to work for the Nultarans.

"Ifsha, the Colonel's people will be looking for him. Make sure they find him." Senzen commanded the remaining woman. She nodded, and the group broke up to set about their assigned tasks. Just a few more hours and they would finally be free.

x X x X x X x

By the time they reached the room, Reeva had Sheppard's arm slung over her shoulder, and was supporting most of his weight. His head hung heavily against his chest and rolled from side to side uselessly as they walked; his eyelids held at half-mast. "Just a couple more steps John." she encouraged.

Sheppard knew this was wrong, knew he should be able to move and think clearer than this. "'M sorry." he mumbled, knowing the woman was struggling under him.

Softness pressed against his legs and his world tilted alarmingly as he was lowered onto the bed. "Rest Colonel, I will return shortly with your food." Reeva left the room at a brisk walk, foolishly leaving the door open. _This is it._ Sheppard thought, _I have to get out of here now!_

Lifting his head was a monumental effort in and of itself, but sitting upright left him spinning with his breath caught in his throat. Sheppard got to his feet, stumbling to the wall for balance. _This isn't right. Have… have to… Atlantis! Have to get back to Atlantis!_

Warmth pulsed under his feet as Sheppard felt the life of the city calling to him, begging him to stay. He paused to listen. He could feel his awareness expanding outward, down hallways he'd never seen before, yet were identical to Atlantis.

_John. _The City whispered to him. _John…._

"John!" Reeva had grabbed Sheppard just in time to take his weight as he collapsed, preventing him from hitting his head. "What are you doing out here? Silly man, come back to bed and rest." Sheppard blinked as the world refocused, and Reeva led him back to the bed, propping him up against the pillows.

"I can't even imagine how you had the strength to make it all the way out here." she muttered as she returned to the hall to fetch the tray of food she had hastily set down to catch the errant Atlantean.

Sheppard's head pounded as he lay in a daze. He closed his eyes to stop the incessant spinning around him. "Atlantis," he mumbled, "Have to get back to Atlantis."

"Oh, don't you be worried about that. We'll get you fixed right up," Reeva came in with a mug of soup that smelled like rotten cabbage. "A good night's sleep, and you'll be all set to go tomorrow."

Indistinct mumbling left Sheppard's mouth as he tried to form a clear thought. A cup was pressed against his open lips and heat filled his mouth and foulness his nose as the liquid was poured down his throat, leaving a rotten tang in its wake. Sheppard coughed and tried to move away from the cup, but Reeva followed him with it everywhere.

Sputtering some out of his mouth left him with a wet chest and chin, which Reeva dutifully wiped away with a fresh cloth. Half of the soup settled into his stomach, actually forming a pleasant heat wave that cascaded into his veins and through his entire body.

He felt a hand run across his spiky hair and across his cheek, again and again, until he relaxed and felt the blackness take him.

x X x X x X x

"Good luck… and Major, bring him home." were Weir's parting words to the teams as they set off in Jumper Four to retrieve their teammate and C.O. Colonel Sheppard had been missing for most of a day, probably longer, depending on when during the night he was kidnapped.

Lorne sat in the pilot's seat, and Teyla was in the co-pilot's chair with Ronon leaning over her shoulder. Dr. Zelenka sat in the chair next to Ronon's (were he actually sitting), and Lt. Johnson's team sat in the rear. The scene that greeted them on the other side of the gate was not the sunny picnic Teyla had told Lorne to expect. It was absolute chaos.

Major Lorne was no stranger to hurricanes, having grown up in Florida, but this amazed even him in its fury. Total darkness filled the sky, occasionally highlighting the rocky mountains with long flashes of lightning immediately followed by thunder. Torrential rain and winds shook the jumper, making its passengers fear for its integrity.

Lorne tried to steer the jumper towards the village, but it was hard to tell if Lorne or McKay was driving, their path was so crooked. "Johnson!" Lorne called to the back.

"Sir!" Johnson stood behind Lorne's shoulder, staring in horror at the disaster outside.

"Looks like your ground mission has been scrubbed." Lorne informed him, confirming the obvious.

"Yes, sir!" Lt. Johnson stayed in the front section, unable to pull his eyes away from the storm.

The next flash of lightning revealed what looked at first like a waterfall sliding down the nearest mountain face. When the puddle jumper's lights hit it, they saw it was mud, not water, covering the mountain in an avalanche.

Everyone felt the same sense of dread with the thought of their missing leader, who was most likely at the mercy of this worst of this storm.

Zelenka gulped. "For the first time, I really hope whoever is responsible for the Colonel's disappearance has gated him off-world."

"Teyla, Ronon," Lorne's eyes never left the controls, but his head turned towards them a bit, "Did either of you see anything in the village or surrounding area that could have been used to shelter the Nultarans from this?"

Ronon shook his head. "I'm afraid not, Major Lorne," Teyla voiced. "Everything we encountered in the village would very easily have been destroyed in this."

Lorne began to hover the jumper in place over a large cesspool of mud. "These are the coordinates for the village proper." he said quietly. Not a spec of life remained. The intermittent bolts of lightning served to remind everyone of the devastation.

"Dr. Zelenka, are you reading any life signs?" Lorne already knew the answer.

"No."

Everyone was silent aboard the jumper, their eyes glued to the HUD, as Lorne made a last pass around the village and nearby area. He flew in stunned silence, worried for Sheppard, and anticipating what he would tell Dr. Weir.

"There is debris everywhere, but no bodies." Teyla pointed out. Blinking, Lorne considered this. Teyla was right, there should be bodies. He flew the jumper as close to the ground as he dared, sweeping the jumper's powerful floodlights to and fro.

It was impossible to tell if the wood chunks floating around were from the destroyed village or mangled forest, but the personal items were obviously Nultaran. Bits of clothing, pots, and even a table could be seen.

"What's that?" Ronon pointed to one article of clothing in particular.

Without conscious thought, Lorne made the HUD zoom in on the bundle. It was impossible to tell much about it since it was covered in mud, but the familiar shape of the bulges were what had caught Ronon's eye. "That's a tack vest."

"Are you sure?" Teyla held her breath. She could not identify it at all, but trusted her teammate's judgment.

"Almost positive." Ronon's was not the most popular reply.

"Is there a way we could possibly tractor it on board?" Johnson suggested.

Everyone looked at Zelenka, who shook his head. "The jumper does not have tractor beams Lt."

"Then it looks like we're getting dirty." Lorne retorted to Zelenka's condescending tone. Really McKay was cranky enough, his department did not need to pick up on it, even in a bad situation. "Johnson, hook yourself up to a harness. I'll bring the jumper as close as I can to it."

"Understood, sir." Teyla was struck by an old memory of Lt. Ford speaking to Col. Sheppard in much the same manner. Johnson looked to be about Ford's age. She shook her head, unable to bear the thought of loosing another teammate.

All the marines that had previously been in the rear moved into the front, except one, who also harness himself to the jumper, and spotted Johnson as he dropped himself into the raging storm. The door separating the forward and rear sections closed, protecting those not harnessed, and allowing Lorne to concentrate on his piloting.

When the rear hatch sealed shut, the bulkhead door opened, allowing everyone a sight of the mud covered marines and now trashed jumper. Lt. Johnson dropped his acquisition to remove the harness, and everyone stared at the bundle.

"Well?" Lorne called from the pilot's seat.

Ronon picked up the pile of clothes and felt around them. "I was wrong," he said. Teyla's eyes lit with hope. "It's a tack vest and a jacket." And her heart plummeted. Ronon scrubbed at the sleeve, revealing the blue-gray material beneath, and the SGA badge.

x X x X x X x

The still silence in the dark infirmary was suddenly broken by frantic screaming. "Sheppard!"

Kristen ran to the source of the shouting, finding Dr. McKay tangled up in his sheets, his eyes wide open, but unseeing. Quickly she grabbed him by the shoulders and held him in place, stopping his thrashing. "Wake up, Doctor, it's alright. You're just having a nightmare. It's alright!"

"What's going on?" Beckett came running out of his office, awoken from his own fitful sleep. Without needing the nurse to answer, he joined Kristen by his friend's side. "Rodney. Rodney!"

McKay abruptly stopped thrashing and awoke with a gasp. Looking around wildly, he panted, "Where's Sheppard?" A coughing fit followed, and Kristen poured him a glass of water from the jug on the nightstand.

"Calm down, Rodney," Beckett soothed. He waited for McKay to finish his water, and look at him, thankfully slightly calmer. "The rescue team is on Nultara looking for him, remember?"

After a moment, McKay nodded and lay back down. "No news yet? How long have they been gone?" he asked. Beckett shook his head, even though Major Lorne's team had returned over an hour ago. He couldn't tell Rodney just yet. The middle of the night alone in the hospital was no place or time for bad news. Handling it tomorrow in the daylight, on a full night's worth of sleep, and surrounded by his team, would be hard enough for him.

"Go back to sleep Rodney." Carson suggested.

McKay's eyes were already closed. "You'll wake me when you hear something?" he pleaded.

"Aye," he lied. He watched McKay sink back into sleep, eyeballs moving rapidly behind the lids. He had just bought himself a few hours to find a way to tell Rodney his best friend was dead.

_Aw, I hate stories where a main character dies. Life is depressing enough, who needs to read it?_


	5. Leaders For Sale

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis or any of its characters (except for those from Nultara)

_A/N: I'm really sorry for the long delay, I'll try to get the next chapter out sooner. Thanks to denise-42 for the encouragement._

**Chapter 5: Leaders For Sale**

_Dead, Sheppard's dead._ It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. Kirk never dies, he gets the girl and saves the day; he does not die!

"Rodney, are you alright?" Weir was looking at him with concern. She, Lorne, Ronon, Teyla, Carson, Radek, and Caldwell were all in the Conference Room to deliver the devastating news to Rodney, and to plan Atlantis' next step. Caldwell surprisingly didn't look all that happy about finally acquiring the coveted position.

McKay wanted to burst out laughing. Was he alright? Sheppard was dead, and they wanted to know if he was alright! It was just one muddy excuse for a village. How could something possibly go so wrong in such a pathetic dump? _Here lies Sheppard, killer of Wraith, destroyer of Hive-ships, and slain by Mudmen._ No, it just didn't fit.

"Where is the body?" If he was to come up with a better epitaph, he wanted to see where his friend was going to spend the next several hundred years decomposing.

Looks were exchanged between the room's occupants. Teyla and Weir held each other's gazes, both silently willing the other to tell McKay the full story. "There was none," Ronon took the decision from their hands. "The storm washed away everything."

McKay froze. _No body. Didn't _any_ of these bimbos ever read a comic book? You're not dead until there's a body!_ "If there was no body, how do you know he was dead?" Suddenly McKay was not grieving, he was pissed. Radek should have known better. Besides knowing that he had indeed read comic books (and still had a few in his quarters), he was a fellow scientist, and a scientist should know that something is not true until it was proven so, not just most likely.

Lorne detailed to McKay what the teams had found when they dialed Nultara. With each word uttered in that driveling, defeated voice, McKay's ire grew. "A jacket! You just left him there because you found a jacket?"

Uncomfortable glances were exchanged. "Rodney, there was nothing on Nultara to have sheltered him from that storm. Even if we hadn't found his jacket, we would be hard pressed to believe he made it." Weir had to make him understand; she needed her head scientist focused.

McKay was just shaking his head, unable to believe what he was hearing. "This is unbelievable. I always knew I was surrounded by incompetent morons, but this is just appalling!" Several heads looked over from the Control Room, surprised by the shouting. At a look from Weir, they returned to their work.

"Let's break this down, shall we? You find a jacket and a tack vest. Sheppard went missing while we were all in bed. Do you wear your tack vest to bed?" he asked Ronon. The runner just looked at him, and he realized that no, Ronon didn't wear one period. "Do you, Teyla? Lorne? Hmm? I thought not. The vest could easily have been left behind when he was abducted, thus making it perfectly reasonable to find. Did you see his vest in the inn before we left."

Ronon glared, "I was a little busy McKay."

Caldwell sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, digging the tips of his fingers into his eyes. McKay was right in this regard, and he felt guilty for not having thought of something so obvious. However, it didn't really change the situation. "Dr. McKay that still does not mean he could have survived the storm."

"Ah ha, there were no shelters on the surface, yes, but did you even scan for underground caverns?" Here he addressed Zelenka. "We had nominal power readings from below ground, didn't this occur to anybody?"

"Ronon reported that you said they were too small to be of significance." Weir pointed out.

"Not significant as in, no I don't think they're going to come through the Gate and kill us, or threaten us if we should happen to be trading on the same world. That does not mean you should ignore its presence altogether!" Mixed with his anger now was a good bout of relief. _My co-workers really are as stupid as I accuse them. Sheppard might still be out there. Oh, thank god._ "We need to go back to that planet right now, and start looking for him again."

Weir was feeling some of her own relief. If there was even a chance that her military commander was still alive, then she would do her damnedest to make sure he was brought home. Looking at her ranking officer, she asked, "Major, how soon can you assemble a team to go back?"

"Less than a half hour ma'am."

Caldwell was reluctant to burst the mounting bubble of energy rising in the room, knowing people would think he did so out of a dark need to usurp Sheppard's position, but knew he had to point out, "Listen, we need to know if that storm has passed yet. If it's still going as strong as the last time we sent a team through, then they'll never be able to detect him. We need to wait for it to blow over."

Rodney nodded morosely in agreement.

"We'll send a team out to check every hour. Once a team reports an all clear, we'll send through more scouting parties." Lorne looked like he was already calculating team rosters in his head.

"I want you to take Dr. Litzky with you this time, as well," Weir ordered. "She's our resident weather expert, so she may be able to provide some enlightenment regarding this storm, see if it's anything like what we experienced here on Atlantis, and if we need to worry about it happening again." She looked each person in the eye, daring any of them to give up hope again, though why McKay deserved such a look was an aggravation he reserved for later, and nodded a dismissal.

"Would help if she could speak English," McKay grumbled as he left the room, eager to chastise Radek in private for his oversight.

Elizabeth watched them leave, feeling the air caught in her chest, as hope made a resurgence. _I will not let him down this time_, she swore.

x X x X x X x

Senzen studied the mess of a man sprawled on the white marble floor before him, his thoughts filled with a bitter sense of retribution, not too dissimilar to the attitude this man had come to him with. When this man had first approached Hazzan, and through him Senzen, he had spoken with an air of superiority, as though the Nultarans owed him something. And indeed, maybe they did.

He had told them about Sanctuary, a treasure his people had amazingly been ignorant of for so many generations. He had shown them where to build shafts and supplied the exhausted laborers with fresh food, something highly unavailable in this mud hole. Most importantly, he had given them hope.

But he had also betrayed them, and now here he was, covered in blood; a mass of broken bones, a rainbow of bruises, and a collection of infected gashes. Quite colorful, really. He nudged his prisoner with his mud-free boot. The man moaned, but did not have the energy to effectively cringe. Slowly he opened his brown, bloodshot eyes a crack.

"Colonel Sheppard has been most cooperative so far, Acastus. He has brought Sanctuary back to life, as your man did." Kolya stared out into space. Senzen nudged him a little harder to get his attention. "You told me he would not be so agreeable. Did you lie to me again? Did you think you could use us to get your revenge?"

Senzen reached down and pulled his prisoner up roughly by the hair. "If we have lost his good will because of your lies, your time with us up to now will be naught but a pleasant memory compared to what you will suffer."

The once unflinching long arm of the Genii trembled under his torturer's intense scrutiny. "He, he won't. You'll see," he croaked. Screaming and whispering were all that was left to what used to be a charming voice. "When you ask him. . . your plan. . . he will say no. He'll never do it!" It was a promise. Kolya knew his enemies, knew their limits. Sheppard would never participate in what the Nultarans wanted him to do.

Senzen released him, and he fell to the floor with a hard thud. Really, he much preferred his mud and dirt prison. The floors of Sanctuary were just too much for his abused body. "For your sake, I hope you are right. For his, I hope you are wrong." And with that, he left, leaving in his wake yet another great leader struggling to understand where things went wrong.

x X x X x X x

The sounds of an entire population bustling about the busy task of relocating their entire lives and homes reverberated through the walls of Sanctuary like music to those who had for so long waited desperately to hear them. Once abandoned halls were once again filled with people.

The City itself seemed to have an extra sparkle to her walls, as though she too was happy to have residents once again. _Is this City really alive to love us so?_

Senzen paced the halls, solving problems as they arose, from the petty (But I wanted this room for my family! I don't care if it looks exactly like all the other rooms!) to the serious (A previously undiscovered cave-in preventing a section of the city from being occupied just yet).

Finally he found just the woman he was looking for. "Ifsha, tell me you have everything ready."

A tired laugh was emitted from the rather robust woman (by Nultaran standards). "It wasn't easy, especially for the married women, but they'll do it." She raised blue stained hands. "At least we'll definitely have all the Keras berries we'll need."

Senzen smirked at her hands, but asked seriously, "And the girls? Have they agreed?" Ifsha's eyes sank to the floor. Senzen sighed, "I told you Ifsha, if we are too survive, even with the Ancestor's blessing of Sanctuary, we are going to need everyone to contribute. Anyone who is capable must do this, I don't care if they're twelve."

Reluctantly Ifsha nodded and turned away, not entirely comfortable with the task in front of her. Even she knew it was wrong, but it was the only way to survive, right?

x X x X x X x

White. White ceiling. Not Atlantis. _Where?_

With a jerk, he awoke and immediately threw himself out of the bed. He heard someone cry in surprise and felt them rush over to him, placing their arms around his shoulders and squeezing tight. _No!_ He would not be subdued like some hapless doll again. With a yell of his own, he shoved the hands off him, thus throwing the person holding him harshly to the floor with an "umph."

"Colonel Sheppard!" they cried, but he ignored it in favor of rushing to his feet as soon as possible. He did not want to be caught off his guard again. He backed up to the nearest corner, and only then did he look at who was in the room with him.

He was in his little white room, his home away from home. "Colonel?" the voice questioned. The little blonde woman seemed unsure whether or not he was awake. "John?"

Dala, Hazzan's granddaughter with the poisoned Hemyas. "You're not drugging me again," he warned. Actually his body felt a little stronger, but it was pouring sweat at an alarming rate. Did he have a fever? He refused to relax one of his fists enough to check. Even if he did, it was a problem for later.

"It's alright, John," Dala spoke softly as though to a spooked animal. _Way to be condescending, _thought Sheppard. "I gave you a purger about an hour ago that's removing all the excess boffa root from your system. That's why you're sweating so much. I promise, that is all I did or will do."

"No more drugs." Sheppard demanded.

"No more." Dala agreed.

Sheppard looked around the room. A table and two chairs had been added, along with a tray of food, it's contents looking disgusting and brown, as always. Noticing his look, Dala asked, "Would you like to ear? I promise, this food is completely drug free."

Sheppard just stood in his corner for several minutes, pulling his thoughts back together. It felt wonderful just to be able to _think _again. Reviewing the last time he awoke, he realized the water in the canteen Senzen had given him must have been spiked, for his thoughts were certainly very fuzzy by the time he had gotten to the Control Room.

The Control Room. He had activated the city. Had he actually wanted to do that? "Why did you drug me before?" he asked Dala. "I had already agreed to help you." There really wasn't any reason for Dala to answer. He knew they had planned to drug him either way to ensure his compliance. But he needed to know how involved Dala was in Senzen's machinations.

"I was not here for that John," she really sounded like she was talking to a rabid animal that might go off on her if she spoke too loudly or quickly. He knew the tactic; it was designed to make him feel guilty and basically like shit. Too bad for her he had too much exposure to McKay and was immune to her tone. "Like the others, I was above ground, waiting to be welcomed home."

Suddenly, she smiled, "I don't know if anyone has taken the time to properly thank you yet. Truly we owe you a debt of gratitude. Therefore, thank you John Sheppard, on behalf of all of Nultara, for all that you have done for us."

Sheppard finally allowed himself to give into the urge to roll his eyes. Fortunately he was able to do so without the excessive spinning and vomiting of earlier. "Well, you have your City now, and I need to return to mine. I'll tell Dr. Weir what happened, and maybe she can send a team to help you out with this place." Not that he would recommend doing so, he couldn't trust the Nultarans. But he was reluctant to write off the resources of this city.

"Please Colonel," Dala sounded flighty again, like the flirting young woman he had met at the dinner. "Let's discuss what is to come over a meal. You have not eaten any real food in quite a while."

Sheppard cautiously joined her at the table. There were two place settings, half a loaf of bread, strips of meat that looked similar to beef, and a pitcher of water. Sheppard eyed the food warily. "How long have I been here?"

Dala shrugged as she began serving them food. "Not long, two days." Sheppard did feel a little relief, having feared it was longer. "Will you eat?" she asked again. She took a sample bite of everything, and a drink of the water to prove it was safe. He was unconvinced though. Senzen had also drunken from the canteen that definitely knocked him through the loop earlier, and other Nultarans had eaten the same food as his team at the dinner. Clearly whatever drugs had affected him were of no consequence to the natives.

"I think I'll pass." He folded his arms, but did sit down. "I held up my end of the bargain; I activated this city. Now it's your turn. Let me return to Atlantis."

"Please John," she smiled at him, this time as though he were six. _What's with these people? _ "You will need your strength. You have some busy days ahead of you."

And the dread just kept building. "What do you mean by that?"

"Think about it John. We're in the City of the Ancestors! None of the Nultarans can properly work the systems here. We do not have this gene," she actually stumbled over the foreign word. "If something were to happen to you, we would be trapped in our own home. Do you understand?"

"I understand that you have kidnapped me and are refusing to let me return to my world." Did they really think he would work their city against his will for the rest of his life.

Dala sighed. "I really wish Senzen were here to tell you about this, but apparently it is to be me. John, we have no wish to keep you from your people, we're not monsters. But we do need to survive. This is why we asked for your help."

Feeling like he was missing something, he asked, "So what is it that you do want from me?"

An almost shy smile twisted her lips in a pretty fashion. "We want Nultarans who can naturally occupy this city. Nultarans who are born with this ATA gene. We need a new generation with your gifts. Babies, John. We want you to give us babies."

---------------------

Go on, laugh it up. Shep certainly won't be.


	6. No Means No!

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis, yada yada yada.

_A/N: Warning, the author is sick and twisted and from here on out the story is not for little kids, or people who happen to think highly of their moral status._

**Chapter 6: No Means No!**

His babies. She wanted his babies. McKay was never going to let him live this down. Even he could not argue the Kirk Charm in the face of this request. Was Kirk ever propositioned this way? He didn't think so. In fact, he may have just formed his own brand spanking new category. This went way beyond 'getting the girl'.

She was still looking at him expectantly. "How can I possibly respond to that, Dala? My parenthood isn't exactly up for sale."

"Oh no, no, no, John," she shook her head vigorously, "We would not require you to raise them, just help us conceive them. I understand this is not the way of your people, and to be honest, it's not really the way of mine, but you have to understand our need."

There were so many things morally wrong with what Dala was proposing, Sheppard didn't even know where to start. Sure, he'd had fantasies of something like this in high school, and at the academy, and let's face it, often enough after that. Just him, stranded on a world alone with beautiful women, all wanting the same thing every guy does. . . .

He had responsibilities elsewhere, he just couldn't do this. He was in control, not some horny teenager.

"Dala, look, I'm sorry," he began, "You're a very nice looking lady, but I just can't do this. It's wrong."

She stood from her seat at the table and sat on his lap, going from kitten to minx in the blink of an eye. Her hair fell forward, obscuring half of her face, and a roguish smile replaced the shy one that had appealed to him earlier. Her hand trailed slowly up his thigh, lingering between his legs.

"Please John, we will make certain this is an enjoyable experience. You are helping my people, there is nothing wrong with taking pleasure while performing your services."

Sheppard gasped as the hand squeezed, before standing abruptly and allowing Dala to fall to the floor. "Stop!" He picked her up by the shoulders and steered her towards the door, banging loudly for the guard to open. "I told you I can't do this. Good night, Dala."

She offered no resistance as he led her. "Please, just cooperate John. It'll be much easier this way."

"I can't."

She sighed as the guard (Tammer, was it?) opened the door cautiously, verifying that he was not trying to escape. "I'm sorry you feel that way."

She left without another look, though Tammer did send him an accusing glare as he shut the door. Now it was Sheppard's turn to sigh. _Now what am I going to do?_

The pacing began, slowly at first, but the more he thought about Dala and babies, the jerkier and faster his steps became. _Fifteen steps forward, fifteen steps back._ He couldn't sleep with some woman he barely knew because she wanted to get pregnant. Children were not some parting gift to be left behind. _Fifteen steps forward, fifteen steps back. _How could he leave knowing he had left his child behind?

His buddy Tom had had a girlfriend in high school who thought they would always be together. Tom thought she was cute, but wasn't the settling down type. Two months after graduation, Tom had signed up to join the Air Force with him, and told Kimmy the news. He had dreamed of touring the world, and couldn't wait to finish basic training. That kind of life didn't leave much room for a permanent girlfriend. Kimmy's reaction was to get herself pregnant as quickly as possible, forcing Tom to marry her. He still became a pilot, but never got to go on his tour. He drank a lot after, and died in a car wreck DWI ten years later.

He didn't want to be like Tom. Stuck on Nultara with a horde of kids all from different mothers, all being used by their own people like property, because of some gene they may be born with. There was no guarantee his offspring would have the gene. Beckett said it was genetic, but his mother had had brown eyes, and his were hazel. Not everything gets passed on. It would be funny if none of his children had the gene. The Nultarans could be keeping him for nothing. He tried to imagine spending his life here, with no Atlantis, no Gate travel, no Earth, no Rodney. . . no flying. Hell, he wouldn't even get to see the sky again.

He was never watching Star Trek again.

He hoped the rescue team from Atlantis would hurry up and get him out of here already. So far he hadn't seen any exits, but then again, he'd never actually been in the hallways while clear-headed. He hoped he wasn't so far underground that they couldn't find him. It didn't matter. McKay would find a way; that's what he did.

He actually wished he had the man here right now to talk to. Or argue with more specifically. The resounding quiet of the room was deafening. It was down right creepy. Several times he had caught himself looking over his shoulder, expecting someone to be there, watching him.

With little else to do, he inspected the food that was sitting on the table. Dala had eaten almost half her plate, and had appeared normal afterwards. The meat was cold by now, and but the lines of white running through it were interesting. White veined cows, yum. His stomach rumbled and clenched, reminding him of the cramps he had been ignoring, and he knew he needed to fill it. He also knew how bad a time this was to be drugged again.

Experimentally, he brought it to his nose and sniffed. Smelled like beef, if a little sweet. Next he lowered it to his mouth and took a small bite, letting it rest on his tongue. When he didn't feel spacey, he allowed himself to chew and swallow. The meat was tough, but overall didn't taste too bad. To be safe, he set the meat down and returned to the bed. He needed to give any drugs that might be in it a chance to reveal themselves.

Ten minutes and six loud grumbles later, the beef began its journey down Sheppard's digestive system and into acid land. Once he started eating, he couldn't stop. He went from being a little hungry to starved in five seconds flat. When the meat was gone, he moved onto the blue-kernelled bread.

As he swallowed the last of it, he leaned back in his chair and took a swig of the water, and froze. He had not intended to eat the bread or drink the water without testing it. He looked at the pitcher and realized it was almost empty. He didn't even remember drinking it. _Are there drugs that can make you unreasonably hungry? _There must be, because even McKay could not have eaten that fast. They had gotten him again.

He set the pitcher back on the table, and if it thumped a little loudly, so be it. If the glass cracked a bit, all the more satisfying. Angrily he resumed his pacing. If he could get to the Control Room, he could send a transmition to Atlantis, cue them in on his location. Of course the Wraith might also pick up on it, so it was a risk he would hold in reserve.

He eyed the water pitcher longingly. It was drugged; he knew it was drugged. But he wanted more. His legs started taking him to it, and he had to wrench himself back, turning his back to the table.

_What's wrong with me? You are an officer of the United States Air Force, and military commander of Atlantis, get a grip! Control yourself. _Strangely his thoughts sounded like his father, angry and disappointed, as always. If these drugs were addictive, he would be screwed on so many levels.

Some time between the eleventh and fourteenth step forward, the door creaked open, and his favorite fanatic entered his glorified prison. "What's going on, Senzen?" Sheppard asked dangerously. "We had a deal, I help you get this city running, and you let me return to my people."

Senzen was biting his lip again, and started wringing his hands. "I am afraid that option is no longer available, Colonel Sheppard. The night after you were taken, a Mud Storm struck our village. Everything on the surface was washed away, including the Ring of the Ancestors. I'm sorry, but this is home now."

Sheppard's eyebrows hit the ceiling. One little storm had destroyed a Stargate? It was a poor lie, but he played it safe. "A Mud Storm? Are these regular occurrences on your world?"

Senzen's face was one of tragic despair. "Unfortunately so. Life on Nultara is never easy." He smiled at the ceiling, his face now angelic, sending loud and clear the message that now such those days were a thing of the past.

"The Stargate has survived these storms before then. Why would this time be any different?" Sheppard folded his arms across his chest, letting Senzen know he didn't buy his story for a second.

Senzen's eyes lit up as he realized his error. "Your people will not find you. The surface is destroyed. Accept it Colonel, this is your new home."

"Is that how you plan on getting me to agree to your crazy idea to sleep with everyone, tell me I'm here for the rest of my life, so why not? I'll tell you now, it's not going to happen, so you might as well let me go, before real trouble starts." Sheppard advanced on the little man, until they were only inches apart. "Atlantis knows who took me, they won't take that lightly."

Senzen did not back down. "As far as your people are concerned there is nothing left of Nultara to retaliate against. We are dead. You are dead. There is no going back for you.

But there is no reason why life here should be terrible. As you said, you are here; you might as well enjoy it. Are our women so repulsive to you?"

"That's not the problem and you know it, so stop playing dumb." Every word out of this guy was pissing him off more and more, "There are other ways to go about this." Maybe reasoning would work? _Hey, nothing to lose by trying. _"If all you want is the gene, my people have a way of introducing it artificially. It doesn't take to everyone, but at least you wouldn't have to wait a generation for Nultarans with the gene to grow up."

His hand had strayed to the water pitcher again. With a hiss, he pulled it back and shoved it in his pocket. What game were they playing that would involve him constantly wanting to eat? Blackmail him with food for sex? The addiction didn't seem that bad.

Senzen shook his head and appeared amused by Sheppard's struggle. "I have seen the difference between your natural gene and Dr. McKay's given one. Yours is far superior, and we must have it. And as you said, it does not take to everyone."

"There's no guarantee that my children will have it. Parents don't always pass their traits on."

"Colonel, there are eighty-three women of childbearing age in our community. I'm sure that between them, they can produce a significant enough number to serve our people. And if not, they can always have another child until they get it right." Sheppard got a good view of missing teeth with this smile.

"We waste time Colonel. We require your assistance. Will you provide it willingly or not?" Senzen appeared to be at the end of his rope. Three Ronon-sized men appeared at the door, obviously there to subdue him at Senzen's command.

Not good. It killed him to offer this, but it was better than the alternative. "Wait. My people have a procedure, one we know works. It's called sperm donation. It's basically a way for a woman to get pregnant without having sex. I ejaculate into a cup, give it to the doctor, who can then put it into the woman, and boom, she's pregnant. No messy stuff involved. You can even pick the gender baby you want. And this can be used with every woman, not just one at a time. Just contact my people and we can set it up."

Normally this was not a procedure Sheppard endorsed. He wouldn't hold it against someone for doing it, but it still weirded him out. Babies came from sex, not labs. But today, today this was nowhere near as uncomfortable as the alternative.

Senzen actually appeared to be thinking it over. Sheppard held his breath in anticipation, and his body rigid, ready for an attack. _Please, just take the deal._ Finally he said, "I have never heard of such a procedure, and indeed it has me curious," _Please, please. _"But we have been offered many wonders by outsiders who did not follow through with their bargains. It has been a hard lesson, but one well learned. Nultarans have only Nultarans Colonel. We will not accept outside help with our problems anymore. You will comply now."

"Who screwed you over so badly that you won't listen to reason when it's staring you right in the face?" Heh, him, reason. Another thought for McKay to laugh at him for. What he really wanted to know was, _Who screwed up any chance of a relationship we ever had with these people before we even got here?_

"Far too many people Colonel." He signaled the brutes. "It is obvious you are not willing to help us as you promised. So be it." The men moved towards him and he fought as they wrestled him onto the bed.

"I never promised this!"

He punched and kicked, nailing one of them soundly in the kneecap, and another in the groin. That one released him, allowing him to get his right foot free to give the one holding his left leg a good knock to the head. Then Groin Thug was back and returned the favor to his stomach, making him shrink inward, gasping.

A hand grabbed at his shirt and tore it off, pulling a few chest hairs with it. The one holding his arms managed to get one into a padded restraint while the other two reattached themselves to his legs. Once both his arms were bound, the third thug started undoing his pants.

Sheppard gritted his teeth and bucked harder, trying to dislodge the man, but he couldn't wiggle free. The goon had his fly undone and roughly pulled his pants and boxers down to his ankles, where the other two pulled them off completely. Once that was done they restrained his legs as well.

Sheppard lay there panting, humiliated and pissed. He focused on the pissed, and continued to pull at his bindings. "Bondage, huh Senzen? Sorry to disappoint you, but I think it's sick. Kink doesn't really get me in the mood, if you know what I mean."

"Well then Colonel I shall just have to help you." He pulled a vial out of his pocket and nodded to one of the goons. Since he had not been introduced, he decided to name him Bill. Bill grabbed Sheppard's chin and pulled it open. Sheppard tried to force it closed, and felt his jaw ripping.

Senzen poured the thin liquid down Sheppard's throat. He tried not to swallow, but laying down, he started to suffocate quickly. As Bill released his jaw, he tried to cough it up, but as he opened his throat to try, it spilled down. It was a good trick while sitting, but counterproductive while laying down.

The liquid went down the wrong way, making him cough a lot and leaving him short of breath. He lifted his shoulders, trying to get air into his burning lungs. Finally he coughed it up, only to go down the right tube. Now he was about to be drugged, and winded.

Tingling started spreading through his arms, across his chest, down his legs, and especially in between them. He could feel the bed sheet under his back and it felt so soft. Experimentally he moved up and down, and smiled as the sheet rippled across his spine. He giggled, enjoying the sensation.

A hand touched his chest, and it too was soft. He arched into it, craving more contact. It played with his nipples, and he giggled again. This was nice. He followed the tan arm up to its body, which gifted him with a view of blonde hair and two large breasts. They were nice too. They got closer to his chest and he smiled even wider.

She sat on his hips with her legs on either side of him and fingered his belly button, lightly running one finger along the rim, dipping in and out. He laughed again. This felt so good. It tickled! She moved her legs up and down his thighs, the ghost of a sensation made him move his own legs, searching for more concrete contact.

Then she really sat on him, and he was in bliss.

-------------------

_A/N: Yeah, I'm horrible. It'll only get worse. Feel free to tell me you don't like it, but please don't be too nasty about it. I'm really a very nice person._


	7. The Simple Life

_Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis, just this plot._

**Chapter 7: The Simple Life**

Time lost all meaning as he drifted in a haze of ecstasy. He would float and things would feel good. Every now and then something would shoot out of him and he would feel really good. Hands glided across his body, and he yearned for the touch. Heat surrounded him, and everything was perfect.

His eyes opened and closed of their own volition. He didn't care if he could see or not, he just wanted that good feeling to continue to suffuse his soul. Sometimes when he opened his eyes, he saw the blonde woman with the nice breasts. Other times he saw another woman with red hair that reminded him of the Wraith Keeper. He thought that should bother him, but everything she did was just too pleasurable.

He knew there were other women too, but he didn't remember if he had seen them or not; it was all just a jumble of wonderful sensation. He just knew that sometimes the hands felt different. The blonde had such soft hands. They were nice. Most of the women had rough hands. They hurt if they moved too quickly.

It had been a long time since the last time he had shot off, but the woman who was now giving him such pleasure would not leave him alone. She kept rocking against him, with part of him in her. She was squeezing him so hard, it was starting to hurt. Why wouldn't she let him be?

He tried to open his eyes, but lacked the strength. She played with his nipples again, and closed her mouth over his. Earlier he would have arched into this touch, but his limbs felt like lead. _So tired._ He just wanted to sleep, but she kept moving, until finally, finally, he let something loose. It couldn't have been much, but it left him panting hard, his lungs almost too tired to circulate more air.

Lips brushed against his in a tender kiss as he drifted off into an exhausted slumber. "Thank you John," she whispered.

He didn't know how long he slept, but it was a deep sleep without dreams. When he awoke, it was with a fuzzy head and bleary eyes. His eyes blinked several times without his direction, giving him a view of solid white. Deciding that was okay, he drifted off again.

_"They're coming to steal your babies John." Tom walked towards him down the narrow hallway of his apartment, waving a beer bottle at him. "You have to stop them, kill them first, before they take them."_

_"What?" He felt fifty miles an hour too slow. "I like puppies."_

_"Not puppies, mud men." The bottle morphed into a knife. "Kill them!"_

The dream shifted, and John forgot Tom.

_He was in an Ancient city, but not Atlantis. Ancients were standing over stations in one of the Science Labs, identical to one of the ones Rodney preferred. Two of them were discussing the readings from their scanner, the one he had held in the village._

_"Soil composition is perfect for herbs, but absolutely useless for staples. We can use this planet for specialty items, but we cannot depend on it for sustenance." An older man was arguing with a younger woman._

_"We could try adding betrimen fertilizers to supplement the missing nutrients." She suggested._

_"To do so," he countered, "Would negate the special properties that make this soil so unique. These herbs will grow nowhere else."_

_The woman raised her head from the consol for the first time, and looked right at him. Her blue eyes burned holes into his brain. Blue eyes, like Rodney's eyes. "Anyone who regularly eats the food grown on this planet would quickly become immune to any effects of the herbs, no matter how you mix them. They could not rely on the herbs for any necessary medicines."_

_"Then it can only be an outpost." He agreed._

_"Too much food negates the herbs." She repeated._

The dream shifted again, and McKay was with him.

_"I don't think I've ever seen anyone eat as little as you do." He poked him between the ribs. "See! No meat. You should eat more."_

_They were in the mess, and McKay's overladdened tray was already half eaten, whereas Sheppard's sparse tray remained untouched. The contents of the trays held not the usual Atlantis food, but the crap the Nultarans had been providing._

_"Are you Beckett now?" he asked._

_"I don't have to be. Everyone knows you should eat more." As he watched, the blue kernelled bread turned into a delicious looking turkey sandwich. McKay took a big bite of it to emphasize his point._

_Sheppard stared at his tray, until his food too, became turkey. With a smile, he dug in. McKay grinned._

Hands were moving across his body again, and this time, it made him pissed. With a jerk, he opened his eyes and slammed his forehead into whoever was mounting him this time.

A yelp of pain met his attack, and Sheppard found himself too exhausted to continue it. He tried to swing his arms into punches, and nailed himself in the chest, not having believed he could move them. Someone had removed the restraints. Suddenly he had the energy to bound off the bed and run towards the door, nakedness be damned. It was locked, but that didn't stop him from hammering his fist on it a few times.

"Stop, please stop!" An older voiced called to him. "I assure you young man, I am not here to molest you. I was just removing the restraints."

Panting, Sheppard turned around. If this woman was lying, he would have a problem. Ford's grandparents were younger than this crone. "What do you want?" he tried to ask, but all that came out was a croak. Now that the adrenaline was ebbing, he realized his throat was parched to the point of making him dizzy. His thighs were also cramping, and the rest of him was all-out sore, particularly down south.

Noticing his problem, the woman proffered him a glass of water. No, they weren't drugging him again! _No more drugs! _ Was that their solution to everything?

_It doesn't take a voodoo expert to know you need to eat more._ Rodney's voice whispered in his ear, and John felt the tug of a memory. A dream?

He reached out a trembling hand to take the glass. The woman motioned him to drink up. An image of blue eyes piercing through him somehow gave him the courage to drink. He started with a small dribble and swished it around his mouth. His eyes fell in relief.

_Screw it. _He chugged the water as fast as he could and wanted more. His throat was still parched, and the dizziness was turning into a headache. He looked at the table, or more specifically the pitcher of water resting near the woman's withered hand.

She followed his gaze and beckoned him. "Come, it's alright, my bark is worse than my bite." She didn't smile; John liked her just for that. All the women on this planet kept smiling at him. Knowing exactly why made his skin crawl.

He staggered over to the chair and collapsed into it. She took the cup from him and refilled it. After watching him down that one in a blink, she passed him the pitcher. He took it in both hands and let it fall down his aching throat.

Finally, half the pitcher later, he could drink no more. He could feel the water just sitting in his stomach, swishing like it was in a canteen. He lowered the pitcher, and felt his head spin. Holding still seemed to help, and after a moment the vertigo passed. His headache however, increased.

"You should eat." She passed him a bowl of steaming soup, containing thin and completely unrecognizable vegetables. He just stared at it. _You should eat more. _Too bad it wasn't turkey.

"Who are you?" his voice was scratchy, but working. He suddenly remembered he was still naked, and feebly tried to cover his groin with his hands. Heat started to radiate from his cheeks, and he knew he was blushing. Looking around, he didn't see any trace of his clothes.

She scowled at his reaction. "Young man, I have raised enough boys of my own to know what you look like. There's no need for blushing here. Aren't you military types beyond that kind of thing anyway?"

It was one thing in war, when everyone in your command had to get naked in front of everyone at some point, or in the communal showers at the base. But after last night, he couldn't ignore the feeling of exposure and vulnerability it caused.

Finally, she let it go. "You may call me Anka." She frowned at whatever she was thinking. "Senzen has demanded I stay here and take care of you." Sheppard never thought he'd be so happy to find someone so reluctant to be in his company. It was a welcome relief.

"I can take care of myself just fine, thanks." He wasn't two after all.

She snorted. "I cooked this food, and brought the water. Be thankful, I have other things to do with my time. How are you physically? I heard Dala and some of the other girls whispering about how 'drop dead gorgeous'the foreign Ancestor is. I know some of them can be quite enthusiastic about getting what they want."

Sheppard gulped. He really didn't want to think of them right now. He could still feel phantoms of their hands on his skin, and imagine their heat taking him inside. It should be a pleasant memory, but it made him feel sick and used. Is this how a girl feels when a guy doesn't get the message?

"How many were there?" he asked.

"Come again?"

"Last night, how many girls were there?" he repeated, not sure if he really wanted to know.

She shrugged. "Don't know for sure; I've got better things to do than listen to boasts about raping drugged men." Sheppard really appreciated that fact. "If I had to guess though, I'd say seven or eight."

Seven or eight. God, he hoped none of them got pregnant. Then again, that would just mean he'd have to go another round with them. "Senzen said Nultaran women get pregnant easily. Just how easily did he mean?" _How many kids might I have just made last night?_

She laughed, though it sounded more like a bark. "Not that easily. One girl will probably turn up pregnant from last night. Not that it matters for you though. They intend to keep coming until they know for sure they're pregnant." She sighed, grieving for the young man. "It's not going to get any easier for you boy, so buckle down and eat up. You're going to need the energy."

Sheppard stared at the wall in front of him, trying to imagine another night like the last. "No offence, Anka, but I don't think I'll be able to do that again just on a bowl of soup."

With a snort, she pointed to the soup, "All your other food's been drugged, do you really think that's any different?"

The spoon fell instantly from his hand, making a small splash in the bowl. He pushed it away, stood up, and restarted his pacing, his pace slower than yesterday. He became tired far too soon for his likes, and had to lean against the wall.

The grandmother looked at him with sympathy. "It's not going to go away. Eat up, or they'll make you."

"That certainly seems to be the theme around here. It's getting kinda old."

"Stick to what works best, apparently." She quoted, then shrugged. "Use the energy to fight back, for all I care. Fatigue serves no one, including yourself."

_Don't have to be a voodoo doctor to know you should eat more._

x X x X x X x

That night when Senzen came for him, Sheppard was ready. At least, he assumed it was night; it was kind of hard to tell when you were living underground.

He had eaten Anka's food, and indeed, it had revitalized him. His body felt strong, and definitely ready for a fight. Whatever drug Anka had stirred into his soup had his adrenaline and testosterone levels going through the roof; he couldn't sit still, or stop moving. But, on a positive note, he was finally going to face his foe with a clear head.

Senzen, the little maggot, had brought four guards this time. The ensuing fight ended with the same result as the last one, but Sheppard was sure he delivered more blows this time. He had even heard a satisfying snap when he had twisted one guard's wrist. The guard started to return the favor, but a sharp word from Senzen stopped him. If his arm slipped a few times and bung Sheppard's hand against the wall harder than necessary to get it in the restraint, then so be it.

Senzen pulled out the familiar vile, and a different guard grabbed his chin to hold it open. This time he managed to wiggle around so that he was biting the sensitive webbing between the thumb and index finger. The guard grunted, but couldn't pry him loose, even after the blood began to flow.

A sharp blow to his stomach left him gasping, and he released the hand, only to have the liquid immediately pour down his throat. He struggled, but with hands holding his mouth and nose shut, eventually he swallowed.

Thus became the pattern of his days. Every evening Senzen and four or even five guards would wrestle him to bed and drug him. The nights would be spent in an intoxicated bliss while women raped him. The next day Anka was always there to bring him food and whatever steroids (had to be steroids) were mixed in.

More embarrassing was when she brought cream one day and indicated his nethers. He hadn't said anything, but it's pretty hard to hide chaffing when you're naked. It was smooth against his sensitive skin, and he was grateful for the relief it brought. Really, some of these girls needed to learn there was such a thing as too much.

"Why won't you help me escape?" he asked her one night. He had been telling her of his life in Atlantis, and his love of flying. She listened with a sympathetic and even mildly interested face, and he couldn't understand why she would help keep him prisoner here.

Anka had been dreading the question, but the arthritis in her fingers reminded her why every time she brought him his tray. "Boy, I may not agree with what they're doing, but I'm too old to play hero." She did sound remorseful about this, but no matter how much he cajoled, she would not budge.

Senzen was smart, and had sent his prettiest women to him first, probably trying to bribe him into cooperating. After the second night, the women weren't so pretty anymore. In fact, most were not.

He knew Nultara didn't have much in the way of food, but it was hard to realize just how bad it was until he saw these women naked. McKay and Beckett could never call him skinny again. He could count all the ribs on these women, plus make out most of their other bones. He didn't know how they had the energy to go all night long.

During one of his more lucid moments, he knew that if not for whatever drug Senzen forced on him, these women would not be able to get him aroused. No one could get off sleeping with a scarecrow.

Dala and some of her companions from the first night were repeat customers. Actually, they came so often and were so enthusiastic, he had to doubt their 'noble' purpose for being there.

Sometimes he was aware of what was happening to him while they were raping him. As the nights wore on, he started to become more alert faster. The drugs were losing their power.

He struggled sometimes, but the restraints held him in place, and it hurt. Worse, it took him longer to come when he fought, making the rape last that much longer. He didn't know what was worse, fighting it like the fighter he was, or being drugged, having no control, but not suffering.

He remembered his dream from long ago, about the Ancients in this city. He didn't know where the dream came from, but he knew it was right. The more he ate, the less of an effect the drugs had. Even the energy from Anka's meals was less, leaving him less prepared to start each night's activities.

His body was weakening from so much exertion. Insufficient rest between orgies and poor quality food were taking their toll. Some of his ribs were becoming obvious, and his stomach was always grumbling. Worst of all, he was always tired. The possibility of escape was getting further and further away from him, as was his ability to think. He just didn't have the energy to spare.

He didn't know how long he'd been there, but it only took two guards to subdue him now, and he was starting to become accustomed to his nightly violations. He was by no means happy about them, he wasn't anything. They happened, they ended, they started again. There wasn't much variety to his day. How much mental stimulation does a breeding machine need anyway?

Atlantis wasn't coming. He knew he'd been here long enough. If they were coming, they would have already. Strangely, he didn't care. He ate, he slept, and he had sex. Life was pretty simple.

He missed the sky.

---------------------

_A/N: Next chapter the rest of the cast will make a come back. Shep's getting sick of all the attention. Question: Does anyone miss Hazzan? I'm writing this story as I go, so if you want anyone to make a comeback, just send the word._


	8. Just Like Ford

_A/N: Sorry for the long delay. I was pretty sick this week. The next chapter should be coming soon._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis._

**Chapter 8: Just Like Ford**

It was three days of solid rain before Weir ordered Lorne to cut his routine checks to twice a day, rather than every hour. Three demoralizing days after that, it was reduced to once a day.

"Honestly, how long can a storm possibly last?" Rodney McKay was not a patient man. He wanted his friend back, not this useless charade of anticipation. Rodney was not accustomed to problems he couldn't solve, especially once he really put his mind to it. The problem was, he couldn't do _anything _to help until the storm dissipated. It was maddening, and his subordinates were paying the price in boatloads.

Apparently storms on Nultara could last at least two weeks, much to everyone's growing dismay. The occupants of the Control Room barely paid any attention to the embarkation of Major Lorne's jumper anymore, it was such a regular event. After several minutes he had not returned. Heads started to rise, and glances were exchanged. It only took a minute or two to determine whether or not the storm was still raging. Lorne had it down to a science at this point. This delay in his return was the most promising sign in weeks.

Elizabeth stepped out of her office and joined the Chinese technician by the gate controls, afraid she had somehow missed Lorne's return. "Is he still out there?" she held her breath, barely daring to hope.

"Yes, ma'am." He confirmed.

"This is it!" McKay was practically bouncing in place. "It's cleared. We have to get started."

"Just a minute Rodney," Weir cautioned. "We don't know for sure yet. Just hold on a little longer."

They both jumped at the sound of the gate dialing. "Incoming wormhole." The tech announced. As the last chevron engaged, he nodded at his screen. "Receiving Major Lorne's IDC."

"Lower the shield." She whispered.

All eyes were glued to the jumper that slowly glided through the gate. "Dr. Weir," Lorne radioed immediately.

"Go ahead, Major." _Please, please, let this be the break we've been waiting for._

"Good news ma'am. The storm has finally cleared. Today's weather report reads clear blue skies and not a cloud to be seen for fifty miles." He imitated a meteorologist, his giddiness leaking across the line.

"Yes!" shouted McKay. A collective cheer chorused from the personnel. Weir hung her head in relief.

"Very good Major. Report to the Conference Room as soon as you have docked. The science team will be waiting for you." She instructed, as if they hadn't prepared for this since day one.

"Yes ma'am." Always humor the boss, especially when spirits were finally starting to lift.

She tapped her radio. "Ronon, Teyla, and Dr. Litzky, report to the Conference Room immediately." She turned to the tech. "Dr. Xian, signal Colonel Caldwell on the Daedalus and inform him of our development, if you would. Rodney?" Her chief science officer joined her as they briskly made their way to the Conference Room.

The same thought was running through everyone's mind at that moment: _Finally, today we can bring Colonel Sheppard home._

x X x X x X x

The benefit of Major Lorne having to do so many practice runs to the planet was that it had given everyone on Atlantis ample time to prepare for when the moment came. Less than fifteen minutes after Lorne had signaled the all clear, the recon team was ready and underway.

The meteorologists, headed by Litzky, were going through first to make sure the storm had truly passed. It wouldn't do anyone any good to start what would most likely be a timely and broad search and (hopefully) recovery during the eye of the storm. The last thing Atlantis needed was another team missing.

Some of the scientists seemed confused when Major Lorne just let the shuttle drift through the gate, but they were very grateful he did when they were instantly met with a solid wall of brown. "Is that all mud?" One of the scientists asked.

"Yup," Lorne nodded, "It goes for miles in all directions." The jumper floated upwards until they were hovering several hundred feet over a sea of mud.

"It almost looks like firm earth from this high." Litzky joked. "Good thing I'm not the pilot, or I might have tried to land on it."

"Good thing," Lorne agreed. "So, this is your show Doc, what do you want me to do?"

Litzky looked out the front window, and indeed there was not a cloud to be seen. "Which direction did the storm go?"

Lorne pointed, "About fifty miles east of the Stargate."

Litzky nodded, "Then we shall start there."

x X x X x X x

Three very long hours passed with quite a few more people than normal hovering about the Gate Room, anxious for news. "Are they back yet?" Rodney asked Teyla for what had to be the hundredth time. Teyla had long since stopped answering his questions. Ronon didn't even bother to glare at him anymore. It would be impossible for any of them to miss the jumper's return, but McKay needed to talk, needed to ask the inane questions he so often derided others for. Ronon could swear he could see a track line on the floor where McKay's pacing had imprinted upon the metal.

"Incoming wormhole!" Everyone's new favorite phrase left Dr. Xian's mouth, and heavy silence followed except for the sliding of the chevrons and the whoosh of the wormhole forming. The jumper once again glided through, and it was a mad scramble to the Conference Room.

"Well, what did you find?" McKay jumped on Litzky the instant he and his team entered the room five minutes later.

"Mud. Lots of mud." Litzky couldn't help needling the man who had been such a pain to everyone for the last fortnight.

"Dr. Litzky, please." Dr. Weir was in no mood for squabbling on either side, not when there might be news that could finally lead them to John.

The Russian nodded. "Well, good news first. The storm has definitely passed. We can begin sending teams to look for the Colonel." _Oh, this man is so getting promoted._ Rodney might actually have to reward him with some peace and quiet for a week. And maybe let him try that experiment he'd been denying him for the past month….

"Everything around the gate is still covered in mud, making it absolutely impossible to travel by foot there." He continued. "However, when we flew over parts of the planet where the storm passed by several days ago most likely, we noticed massive drainage. I don't know how, but somehow the planet itself is naturally compensating for the flooding. The flora that was buried beneath the mud, particularly the trees, is rapidly regenerating. I'd say that it less than a week, there will be no traces of this storm left."

"How is that possible?" To say Rodney was astounded was an understatement. That storm had been a natural freaking disaster.

Litzky just shook his head. "As best as I can tell, this storm is a natural part of this planet's ecology. I would not be surprised if it happened several times a year."

Everyone took a moment to let that sink in. "If that is the case," Teyla pointed out, "Then the Nultarans would have expected it, and had measures in place for when it struck. They are most likely still out there, possibly with Colonel Sheppard."

Lorne nodded. "From the looks of it, the top of the mountain range just west of the Stargate was never even touched. I saw a few caves from the jumper. They most likely sheltered there. I recommend we send several jumpers full of search teams to investigate the caves, and look for any survivors. Even if Colonel Sheppard is not with them, chances are they'll know something."

"What level of resistance can we expect the Nultarans to offer?" Elizabeth asked. She didn't want to send too many jumpers to search for one man if it were too dangerous.

"They avoided direct confrontation when they took Sheppard. They're sneaky, not fighters." Ronon supplied.

"I agree ma'am," Lorne added, determined to get his way, "Confrontation should be minimal."

"It can't be too minimal if Colonel Sheppard hasn't managed to return as yet." She chastised their quick assumptions. "Take two jumpers to start with until we have a better understanding of the situation."

"Yes ma'am." Well, he tried; he would have to make due with that.

x X x X x X x

Rodney was ready to kill Lorne by the time they had risen above the mud. "You call that flying! I can fly better than that. Are you trying to get us killed!" Lorne wasn't flying poorly at all, but with every slight bump McKay was convinced they'd crash and get lodged in the sludge surrounding them. He never fully appreciated the skill with which Sheppard flew the jumpers with until he was forced to endure another pilot. No matter how skilled, none of them were Sheppard.

"Settle down, McKay." Lorne deadpanned.

The two shuttles made several laps around the mountains, searching for life signs on the HUD. Occasionally one or two would appear, and the jumper would set down only to discover it was just a squirrel, or the local equivalent.

Finally more and more life signs started registering, and the crews disembarked to investigate them on foot. Again and again they were disappointed to only encounter wildlife. Unfortunately the mountains stretched for a good distance, and six hours later, they had barely covered a quarter of the area. As the sun set, the jumpers returned to Atlantis. "We'll be back tomorrow." Lorne promised.

But the next day proved no more fruitful, nor the next. Another jumper had been authorized to aid in the search, but they still were unable to find any trace of human occupation.

"Shouldn't we have at least run across some primitives by now?" McKay grumbled.

"It could be a good thing that we haven't." Ronon offered.

McKay looked at him like he was crazy. "And how's that? There's no one here!"

"It's too suspicious to find nothing at all. There should be some signs." The runner hadn't found any tracts at all even in the fresh, impressionable mud that even McKay should have been able to see. "They're hiding. Which means if we keep looking, we'll find them… and Sheppard."

McKay clung to this theory desperately.

Teyla suddenly tensed. "Wraith!" One of the marines shouted over the radio.

Immediately the group ducked for cover, their eyes raking the sky. Two darts swept across the newly re-emerged field, their engines whining ominously. "Did they come through the Stargate?" One of the nameless marine grunts asked.

"No, they came from above." Teyla answered. "We must leave. A Hive-ship is approaching."

They had foolishly left the jumpers uncloaked, lulled by four days of inactivity. The darts easily located them and fired on the teams as they hastily retreated to them. Explosions threw tufts of dirt everywhere, striking the team on all sides as the darts fired. White flashes indicated the Wraith were beaming down to chase them on foot. Stunner fire added to the explosions.

Ronon grinned and took the opportunity to release his frustration of the last two, almost three, weeks. He felled Wraith right and left, but more kept coming.

"McKay, look out!" Lorne called out to him as he felt a stunner hit him square in the back. McKay toppled to the ground and remained unmoving.

Ronon saw his teammate fall, and left his satisfying, if unproductive, attacks on the Wraith to run to his side. Teyla joined him, and together they managed to drag the unconscious scientist to the jumper and lay him on the floor. "Go, go!" Teyla called the instant they were on board.

Not needing to be told twice, Lorne hauled to the gate. The ship rocked as it took fire, but the shields held. One of the other jumpers made a sudden U-turn and began firing on the nearest dart. It was an unexpected move, and it caught the dart unprepared. Several shots later, and it went spiraling to the ground.

"Nice job, Stackhouse." Lorne called.

The other dart, now vastly outnumbered, fled. Lorne was relieved. Ronon, however, became angry at Lorne's complacency. "Go after it. It will report our presence to the Hive-ship!"

"Ronon, they will have already realized I was here." Teyla pointed out. "Let us return to Atlantis before anyone else is hurt."

As Lorne dialed the gate, Ronon sat by McKay prone body, and seethed in frustration at not getting to kill more Wraith and avenge his friend, both missing and injured. But at least he did it quietly.

x X x X x X x

Softness supported his back, and a warm weight covered his chest. It was nice, safe. He lay there taking in the comfort of his cocoon, until a voice disturbed him.

"Come on Rodney, I know you're awake. Open your eyes now." _Huh, that's a funny voice. Who actually talks like that?_ Whoever it was wouldn't leave him alone. A hand lightly tapped his cheek, and he groaned in frustration. _Just leave me alone._ Sleep pulled at him, but the voice pulled harder with a hint of impatience. "Wake up Rodney."

A faint pain suddenly registered and Rodney woke up fully with a jerk. Beckett rested his hands on Rodney's shoulders, and pushed them down the half inch they had risen. "Easy lad, your safe here."

What? Oh, Wraith. _Come on genius, keep up with it._ The pain was actually just an annoying tingle trickling down his arms and legs, making them feel like they were stuck between that painful state of fallen asleep and just waking up. It was actually quite annoying. Maybe Beckett would give him some morphine.

Damnit, this was what Sheppard was for. Save the scientist and take the hit yourself. For which he would be yelled at for later, but damnit, this taking his own hits thing did not work for him.

"Hey Carson." He looked around the infirmary and saw that they were the only two in there. "I take it no one else was hurt?" Typical, only he gets shot. He definitely needed Sheppard, if only to make him look good.

"No, they made it through alright. Bloody lucky too." He gave him the once over. "How are you feeling?"

McKay looked at him like he had three heads. "I was stunned! I hurt of course. I thought you were supposed to know this stuff?" Beckett just smiled at Rodney's tirade. _Aye, he's fine._

"Rodney, glad to see you're finally awake." Elizabeth materialized from nowhere and joined Carson with her own quick appraisal. Fortunately stunners were a lot less messy than guns.

"So what's the plan? When are we going back to the planet?" McKay was all business right away. This incident was clearly just a demonstration of why he needed his bodyguard back pronto.

Weir sighed. "Wraith are a slightly different matter than insurgent locals Rodney. We have to be more careful with this now. I've ordered Major Lorne to lay low for a few days, and let the Wraith do whatever it is they want and leave. Hopefully we can avoid another encounter."

McKay gaped at her. "Wait a few days? Elizabeth, he's already been gone three weeks! Who knows what they're doing to him." He paused, his thoughts running ahead of him in a direction he did not like.

"Oh, no," he gasped, "you don't think the Nultarans were Wraith worshipers do you? I mean, why would the Wraith just suddenly show up now? Amazing timing, I have to say. What if the Nultarans waited until the storm was over, then called the Wraith? Maybe they gave them John. The Wraith could have him! Elizabeth, we need to check out that ship!" He was almost panicked by the time he was done.

"Rodney, calm down." Beckett tried to calm his patient, but he had eyes only for Elizabeth.

"You can't leave him." He demanded.

"I don't intend to Rodney." Her voice was firm, but it reminded Rodney too much of the time Sumner was captured, and she had almost refused to let Sheppard go after him. "Colonel Caldwell, Major Lorne, and Dr. Zelenka are strategizing all the best infiltration scenarios as we speak. I'm sure they'll think of something."

Rodney snorted. "Yeah, I'm sure Caldwell's working real hard on that."

"He is." Her tone brooked no argument. "We don't leave men behind."

_Unless they turn psychotic like Ford. _ He silently added. He stared at her angrily, not quite believing in her conviction. Ever so occasionally, he wondered if Kavanaugh was right, and Weir was too cautious at the wrong times. Kavanaugh's reasoning was beyond doubt flawed, but his results weren't always dismisable. She had abandoned Ford, and he was afraid that John would be next.

Sensing his acusations, Elizabeth made her excuses and left. Carson checked Rodney's vitals one last time before leaving him to rest. Finally allowed to sleep again, McKay drifted off to visions of Sheppard trapped on a Hive-ship, cocooned and alive, screaming for release, for a rescue that would never come.

---------------------------------

_A/N: Sorry no Sheppard this chapter, but he'll be back next time, suffering some more, because I'm a cruel, horrible person. Well, not really, just a cruel, horrible writer. My characters must hate me._


	9. Limits

_Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis, just the Nultarans, crazy psychos that they are._

**Chapter 9: Limits**

"This place does have showers, you know." Sheppard felt mildly annoyed to have woken up soaking in a trough. Grit still clung to his eyes, and he was sure his breath smelled terrible… kinda like rotting fruit, to be specific.

Anka barked a laugh and lightly swatted his shoulder with the washcloth. "I don't know what a shower is, but be grateful pup. I'm an old woman, and this tub is heavy." She rubbed the soaped cloth over his body, lifting his limp arms to wash the underside.

Sheppard _was_ grateful as he reclined against the smooth metal tub. The water was warm, and even slightly scented, relaxing his overexerted muscles. He knew he should be embarrassed by Anka's ministrations, but he was too jaded for pride. Almost every other day he woke up in this tub with a body too weak to move. Whatever stimulant Senzen fed him to keep him pumping at night left him practically paralyzed for most of the day.

Anka levered him up into a sitting position and pushed him to lean his chest forward against her arm. His eyes closed and he drifted, trying not to fall asleep. "Talk's not as boastful lately." Anka said to the half-awake man. "Seems some of the girls aren't quite meeting your standards these days." She let out an evil chuckle.

Sheppard snorted. He had devised a new game with satisfying results. Two nights ago he had actually been lucid enough to have some coherent thoughts while being raped. Well, lucid enough to actually understand what was happening to him, and register the Nultaran's face. She had had short brown hair and brown eyes that reminded him of Elizabeth. For one confused moment he had thought it _was _Elizabeth riding him. The thought had made him soften slightly, enough so that he slid right out. Elizabeth was a woman he trusted and respected, not to mention owed just about everything for his time in Atlantis, and sex was just not something he pictured with her.

Since then, every time a woman came to visit him, he super imposed a familiar face on them, making it more difficult to get an erection. After the image of Elizabeth no longer worked, he moved on to Teyla and even Cadman. Unfortunately, while this did make him feel too uncomfortable to become aroused at first, it didn't really last all that long. Either these women were too skilled, or the drugs were too potent. So he stopped thinking of them, afraid he would start to associate his co-workers with his current situation.

Picturing his male colleagues was much more successful. The idea of having sex with Rodney left him stunned and too rattled to respond for hours. Having an unresponsive partner was a very effective deterrent for the eerily young woman (girl?) with him at the time, and he had yet to see her again. When a persistent woman managed to break through Rodney's face after an impressive amount of effort, he moved onto Ronon, then Radek, Carson, Lorne, and even Bates. None worked nearly as well as Kavanaugh.

Strangely enough, only Anka shared his amusement. In fact, she couldn't seem to get enough of it. Senzen seemed quite angry with him for some reason. Was it his fault if the women failed to get the raped man aroused?

"I heard Lutma and Shevney complaining to some of the other girls," Anka lowered him onto his back again. "Seems they're getting frustrated by your lack of cooperation these days."

Sheppard grinned. "Oops."

He received a hard-earned smile from his caretaker. "Quite a sight they are." She smeared thick cream of some kind onto his cheeks and under his chin, shaving away the stubble that had annoyed him for days. Her smile disappeared as she concentrated on her task. "Be careful though. If you become useless Senzen will have to do something."

Sheppard sighed and nodded. There wasn't really much else he could do. In the back of his mind he recognized the sound of a woman singing a lullaby, and he drifted, unconsciously listening to the comforting music as Anka bathed him.

x X x X x X x

Sheppard lay sprawled and restrained on the bed, lazily singing to himself. He watched Senzen and the guards leave, and waited for whoever was coming. Really, he was in no rush. Whatever drugs Senzen forced on him numbed his aches and made him forget his exhaustion, but he knew he was in pain. His testicles were more swollen than they should be, leaving him limping all day, and absolutely killing him every time he had to pee or they made him ejaculate. He didn't know if that was normal for someone having this much sex (despite some boasts he had heard, he knew none of his military buddies had had this much in such a short time period) or if something was wrong.

Two women entering the room changed the course of his easily distractible thoughts. The first was his second most frequent customer, next to Dala. She was the one with the flame colored hair that reminded him of the Wraith. She was also one of his more enthusiastic partners who left him almost unconscious after every visit. The other woman hung back in trepidation, staying out of Sheppard's immediate line of vision.

_Huh, they never made me put on a show before._ Were they tag teaming him? He hoped they didn't expect him to do them both at once did they? _What the hell._ A feeling of reckless abandonment overtook him and he just laughed. "Step right up, get your Sheppard baby here!" he called. Both women froze at his announcement. "Today's selection includes red hair and eye coloring of your choice. Sorry, Ancient genetic disposition already decided." He had no idea what he was saying anymore, he just liked for once getting the better of them.

The red head shrugged and shucked off her dress. She moved over to the bed and straddled him. Sheppard tried to picture the most disgusting face possible over hers (usually Kavanaugh), but the hair was throwing him off. _Hm, don't know anyone with red hair._ Well, except the Wraith. He tried picturing the Wraith instead, but the horrible image made him cringe, leaving him preferring reality. At least until she started giving him a blowjob. _Oh God, Wraith Keeper Wraith Keeper Wraith KEEPER!_

Pain mixed with pleasure as she stroked his swollen balls, making this the most twisted sex he'd had to date. He wouldn't go so far as to say he enjoyed it, but whatever was coursing through his system made it impossible for him not to come. The little succubus attached to him was talented, he had to give her that, ending the intercourse with an all-encompassing orgasm that shattered his mind into a million pieces and sent it in all directions, and his seed into the dreaded one.

His body spasmed and his limbs trembled with exhaustion. The red head held a glass of water to his parched lips and he gulped greedily. He knew Viagra- or the local equivalent- was laced in it, forcing his body to be almost instantly ready to go again. He also knew the result was inevitable, and frankly, he was too dehydrated to care.

He lay panting with his eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the other women to take her turn. His treacherous penis twitched, knowing its services were soon to be required, and he stifled a groan, knowing his bloodstream was good and saturated. But no hand came to stroke it to full attention; no legs came to rub against it. He waited, and nothing happened.

Taking the reprieve for all it was worth, he lay as motionless as possible, trying to ignore the world around him. His fuzzed mind had trouble focusing on anything beyond the immediate sensations he was experiencing, which for the moment was fatigue. But the longer his respite lasted, the more his curiosity grew. He forced himself to focus on the agitated whisperings in the room, and let his eyes drift open.

"Ifsha, I can't." The other woman was trembling with her arms glued crossing her chest. The red head, Ifsha apparently, was trying to undress her, despite her reluctance. "Please, I can't."

"Mavah, you must." Ifsha hissed. With a colossal tug, she pulled the dress off and let it fall to the floor. She propelled her companion towards the bed, the other woman looking everywhere but at him. He heard gasping and quiet sobbing, and in a strange surge of chivalry, he turned his eyes away from her, which was about all he could offer.

A trembling hand ghosted along his outer thigh and hovered over his penis, but didn't touch it. After a moment it moved up to his chest and rested against his strong pectorals. The other hand came down clumsily on his bicep and weight was abruptly thrown on his stomach as she fell forward onto him.

He realized that Ifsha must have pushed the woman onto him, and he paused in confusion. _This is new._ So was the trepidation, come to think of it. His half-hard piece brushed against her, and he heard a whimper as it did so. Alarmed, he opened his eyes and felt his blood turn cold.

The person straddling him was just a girl, no more than twelve years old. And she was crying as Ifsha pushed her onto him. _No, no, nononononono._ This wasn't happening. She was just a child. A child. Not only that, but clearly not a willing volunteer either. He couldn't wrap his mind around it. Not this. Raping him was one thing; he was a soldier, he'd deal. But her? His erection withered to nothing, and he joined the girl in her trembling.

She continued to cry as Ifsha reached around her and desperately grabbed him, trying to reclaim his previous erection. But no matter what she did, he could not take his eyes off the girl, and tears. For the first time in almost a month, despite her best efforts and another round of drugs, he remained soft for the entire night.

x X x X x X x

"Senzen, we have a problem."

Senzen set down his book, and turned to see Ifsha, looking rather distraught, coming through the door of what he'd come to think of as his office. "Oh? What might that be?"

"The Ancestor, what else?" Stressed was visible in every line in her body.

"What did he do?" Had the man actually broken free of the restraints? He had to admit, he was becoming afraid of the possibility.

"It's more a matter of what he didn't do." She retorted.

"Oh." Shit. He'd been hearing reports from several of the women recently about Sheppard's reluctance to participate in his nightly duties, but he had feverently hoped it was just their ineptitude.

"I had limited success with him," she reported, "But he was completely unresponsive to Mavah. I tried everything I could, even gave him two more doses of Keras, but he panicked anytime she went near him. I couldn't even make him become remotely interested. I tried having her wait outside while I readied him again, but he refused to become involved again. I don't know what else to do."

Senzen sighed. "Perhaps we have just overtaxed the man. This has been exhausting work for him. We'll leave him the rest of the night to rest, and try again tomorrow." His look hardened. "If he should be uncooperative once more, we will have to resort to more extreme measures."

"More extreme sir?" The man was drugged to the gills and yet he still held out tonight. What could Senzen possibly do?

"There are other herbs that will strengthen a man's sexually desires, Ifsha."

Ifsha just looked at him blankly for a minute, before her face became a mask of horror. "That's illegal, even amongst our own people who are foolish enough to take it willingly. To do that to someone against their will, and in the presence of an unwilling partner, is madness!"

"We do what we do for the betterment of our people Ifsha. I thought you understood that." He was staring at her, and suddenly she felt afraid of this man she had spent so long looking up to.

She stood in the doorway in silence trying to think of someone to dissuade him. Finally she suggested, "Reeva informed me today that she has a confirmed pregnancy. Dala's is well known, and several other women have tested positive. Most women have been with Colonel Sheppard several times, and by now, most of them are probably pregnant."

"Are you?" he interrupted.

She frowned. "No, I do not believe so."

"You are failing your duty Ifsha." He warned.

She swallowed, and continued, "We have enough women pregnant now; their children will most likely have this gene of the Ancestors. The Atlantean has served his purpose. Perhaps it is time to be done with this."

Senzen stared at her with an unreadable face. "You are not pregnant," he began, "Your sister is not pregnant, nor has she slept with Sheppard yet. How many other girls have neglected their duty?"

"My sister was with me tonight. She was scared, but she tried! She did her duty to the best of her ability." After what Mavah had gone through tonight how dare Senzen question her!

"Answer the question Ifsha. How many women have neglected their duty?"

Time seemed to stretch for an eternity before Ifsha answered, "The Ancestor has slept with none of the girls under the age of sixteen. Tonight was to be his first night with Mavah, who is fourteen."

"None under sixteen," Senzen tsked. "And how many is that Ifsha?" She honestly didn't know, or at this point care. "Twenty-two girls Ifsha. Now you tell me, is that twenty-two girls I must declare traitors?"

"No sir." Defeat hung on her shoulders like a lead cape, making them want to sink to the floor.

"Good." Senzen returned to reading his book. "Prepare the yeris, Ifsha. I want it ready by tomorrow night."

Ifsha turned to go, wondering how she was expected to leave children alone with an Ancestor hyped up on yeris.

When she returned to the rooms her family had claimed, she found her sister rocking back and forth on her bed, still crying.


	10. Kings and Queens

_Insert standard disclaimer here._

**

Chapter 10: Kings and Queens

**

The yellow powder rained through Ifsha's calloused fingers like sand in an hourglass, landing in a bowl of thin blue liquid. It was a forbidden mixture, and for good reason. The blue juice of keras berries was an intoxicant that heightened sexual stimulation and relaxed the consciousness, loosening both morals and conscience. The yellow powder was crushed grimspoor skin, a rare herb, and slightly toxic. It caused unmitigated aggression and lowered a person to their most basic instincts. Her people generally considered it a poison, until some idiot years ago had mixed the two plants.

The keras negated the toxicity of the grimspoor, and the grimspoor negated the passivity of the keras. The combination generally left the drinker a highly aggressive sexual predator. The new drug was called yeris, and had once been a fad among men who had difficulties dealing with their wives. But once the men started accidentally killing their wives in the heat of passion, yeris had been banned.

Now it was being put into use again, and against Nultara's youngest and most vulnerable girls. Ifsha tried not to think about this as she stirred and mixed the two, but found she could think of little else.

Colonel Sheppard had not acted like a violent man in the village, which was a plus, but then again, he was military, and that didn't exactly make him a pacifist. What kind of monster would he become under the yeris influence? Nultaran girls were to be locked in a room with a raging sex fiend, and would probably be hurt. Her sister would be among them, and unless her own visits in the past week had been more fruitful than previous ones, she would be among them too.

"You look like the waking dead."

Ifsha's head jerked up to see Tammer staring at her from across the workbench. "Shouldn't you be guarding Colonel Sheppard?" she asked.

He shook his head. "My shift ended an hour ago. Besides, the man's out cold, not much he can do, thank goodness. And Anka's with him if something really goes wrong."

He stepped over to her and wrapped her in a warm hug. His nose trailed her neck under her red locks, inhaling her scent. He rocked them from side to side, closing his eyes and humming a familiar toon. "We used to go dancing. We never dance anymore."

Ifsha leaned against him. "There's no stars. Dancing was always meant to be under the stars." They rocked for a little, lost in their nostalgia, remembering long nights spent making love under an open sky.

Eventually Ifsha pulled away, returning to her task. Tammer paced the room, bored. The walls of this city were not the open paddocks on the surface where Tammer had spent most of his days. After running a farm for all his life, he always had too much energy for his present confines and no productive place to direct it.

He idly fingered the bowl of fresh grimspoor skins she had been crushing, and jumped when he realized what it was. "Is this yeris?" Alarm crept into every line in his face. Ifsha continued looking at her hands as she worked. "Ifsha, answer me."

Slowly she nodded. "The Ancestor overcame the effects of the keras last night, and was uncooperative. Something must be done."

"There's a difference between yeris and something, Ifsha."

"It's not my call." The sound of her pounding the grimspoor grated against his ears, rubbing its vile properties in his face. This did nothing for his temper.

"So Senzen ordered you to give him this? Is he insane? You can't lock our girls up in a room with that! What is he thinking?" This couldn't be happening. He would kill them. Tammer had been there to witness Sheppard injuring the guards who restrained him to the bed each night. The man's fighting prowess was not to be laughed at.

"Times are hard, Tammer. We do what we must." Ifsha's words were hollow, fooling neither of them.

"And you're okay with this? Mavah will be in there, Ifsha! Did you think of that?" He screamed and she nodded, fueling his frantic motions. "What about the other girls? You're okay with them being subjected to this lunacy as well?" _You can't be._

"We have to," she croaked, "Senzen…"

"Senzen! Screw Senzen!" He grabbed her by the shoulders, preventing her from stirring the abomination swirling in the bowl. "Are you his slave that you do everything he says without question? Two months ago he was just another farmer, we were on the surface, and the Wraith were coming any day. Now we're here, in Sanctuary, the Wraith are on the surface and can't even _find _us, and Senzen is king of the world! Ifsha, what happened?"

"Exactly. The Wraith. Can't. Find. Us. They're walking not two miles above us, and they don't know we're here! Senzen has saved us! He knows what he is doing?" Ifsha shouted back.

"And what is he doing, huh? He's stealing women from their husbands and families, and forcing anyone with breasts to submit to rape. He's kidnapped an innocent man who wanted nothing more than trade rights, and turned him into keras junkie! You might consider your body a fair trade for this city, but what about all the other women who didn't want to have that man's baby?

I saw Shevney hiding in a corner yesterday in one of the unexplored halls, curled in a ball and crying. Senzen has made it so that every woman feels like a traitor if they don't copulate with this man, and when they do, they still suffer for it! An entire generation of women is being ruined, and you're helping it happen!" Tammer ran out of steam and stood panting, waiting, demanding a response.

The silence was deafening. "It's almost over." She eventually whispered.

"And then what?" Tammer asked, just as quietly.

Ifsha blinked. "And then it will be over." One plus one equals two, duh.

"Ifsha?"

Ifsha spun at the unsure voice called into the room. Mavah had obviously been listening at the door, and came running in and hugged her around the waist, something she hadn't done in years. Big brown eyes looked up at her and filled with tears. "I don't want to sleep with that man. Please don't make me."

Ifsha swallowed. When had it come to this? When they had first migrated to Sanctuary everything was so clear. They needed Nultarans with the Ancestors' Gift, and one with such a gift had presented himself. It had been simple, an easy choice. But when was enough enough? Did it make a difference if they had one child, twenty children, or fifty, who could do what Sheppard did? Was it right to make young girls like Mavah sacrifice their virginity for the sake of superfluous numbers?

Tammer was watching her, waiting for her answer.

Ifsha hugged her sister, running her hand down her long hair and getting her fingers tangled up in the black curls as she thought. "I'll talk to Senzen, hun. Tammer is right; we don't need to go this far."

Mavah's sob of relief was what finally convinced her that they had reached the end of this path. Tammer was right, they had enough.

x X x X x X x

"No, absolutely not." Senzen could hardly believe Ifsha's insolence. She who had stood by him sense the beginning was now questioning his judgment? How dare she! "We will see this through, Ifsha. Hold true to your resolve."

The oppulence of his office had grown. Most villagers had stuck to the ornaments that had decorated their surface homes, but Senzen had found a stash of prized fabrics and shiny trinkets, and he displayed them brazenly on the walls. Velvet tapestries and thick rugs covered every surface.

"We have enough, Senzen. We are safe, the Wraith hovering on the surface prove that! You have orchestrated the most successful movement in history, and saved our people. I do not doubt your wisdom, or what you have done for all of Nultara." She cajoled.

_Damn right, what I have done._ Senzen had saved Nultara, and yet she questioned his reasoning. Young people truly were idiots. "Did you make the yeris, Ifsha?" _Have you done anything right?_

Was that shame that crossed her face? "Yes. I wish I hadn't. We don't need it, Senzen."

"Very well. Bring it to me, Ifsha, then you won't have to worry about this anymore." He instructed. If he couldn't trust her to dose the Atlantean, he would have to make sure he would be able to do it himself.

Ifsha nodded, relieved that Senzen understood. Sheppard wouldn't receive the yeris, and her sister would be safe. She ran quickly to her workroom and returned to Senzen's office with what yeris she had already made.

Senzen nodded. "Ifsha…" he called to her as she was leaving. She turned, and he asked, "Are you still without child?"

Confused, she nodded. Senzen sighed and gave her a tight-lipped smile. "Carry on, then."

x X x X x X x

_Almost a quarter of the Hive-ship had become buried in the mud in which it rested, but the Wraith didn't appear to mind. Considering most of their ships get covered by a planet's ecosystem while they hybernate, it makes sense that they wouln't. Drones patrolled outside it, and search parties scouted the surounding area of where the village used to be, looking for the humans that eluded them._

_Nultara had been a prime feeding ground for as long as this hive could remember. The humans here had an extra spice to them that they encountered nowhere else, and the Wraith craved it. They craved it so much so that they had kept this planet secret from the other Wraith. Humans such as these were unique, and they claimed them all._

_Except they were no longer here. The Wraith were going mad looking for them. They were always scattered along the mountain range after every mud storm, making them easy prey for the darts to pick off. But not this time._

_This time they encountered the Atlanteans, and the one who could enter their hive-mind. Teyla. One dart was lost in the pursuit of them, and their prey escaped. And the Nultarans were still missing._

_Their veins burned with the need to feed, and their searing thirst would be quenched by none but this special breed. In desperation their Queen had tried draining sustenance from a morsel from another world, and had become ill. None but the Nultarans would do now. They had to find them._

"Do you see John?"

It was the Ancient who had warned him about the food, told him to eat. She sang him to sleep with sweet lullabies while he bathed, and now she was in his dreams again.

"They'll never let them go John. You have to save them."

But they were safe. They were underground. The shield….

"They are addicted to the Nultarans John. The chemicals that are in all food on this planet have saturated their bloodstream, and now the Wraith are addicted to it via them. They will not rest, John. You must stop them."

Wraith addicted? Did he want to stop them? It didn't matter. The shield….

"The shield will not last forever. The Wraith will not leave until they find this city, and then they will stop at nothing until they can access it, and their prey. Please John, you must save my people."

Save them, right. Just five more minutes, mom.

"No. Wake up now John. WAKE UP!"

Sheppard suddenly sprang to life, throwing himself out of bed, and nearly giving Anka a heart attack. He looked around wildly, and tried to make his uncoordinated legs carry him to the door.

"John?" Anka called.

"Have to stop them." He started banging on the door so hard Anka was worried he'd break his hand. "Open up!"

"Have to stop who, John?" Was this some nightmare, or had he finally cracked? Anka was afraid of the answer.

"The Wraith! On the surface, have to stop the Wraith." He panted and continued banging on the door.

Anka was shocked. Senzen had gone out of his way to make sure Sheppard knew nothing about the Wraith. She was with him most of everyday, and she knew no one had told him. "How do you know about the Wraith, John?"

"She told me. Have to stop the Wraith." He didn't even look awake. If Anka didn't know any better she'd say he was sleep walking. She stilled his powerful hands, slipping on the sweat a bit, and did her own knock, three short and fast, pause, then two long knocks.

The door slowly opened, and the man on guard duty looked cautiously in. Sheppard tried to break for the hallway, but the guard held him in place. Sheppard struggled, but was too out of sorts to fight effectively. "Let me through." He hissed.

"He needs to speak to Senzen immediately, Aef. Fetch him at once." Anka ordered. She took over holding the desperate man from Aef, who locked the door behind him and went to summon Senzen. She dragged the shaking man back to the bed.

"He's coming John. Just wait a little more." She tried to sooth him into calm, but he didn't even appear to hear her. She continued to hold him in a bear hug, and started rocking gently, like she did with her children when they were younger and distraught.

Two minutes later Senzen stormed through the door looking confused. Sheppard leaped to his feet as Senzen asked, "What is going on?"

"Wraith!" Sheppard shouted.

"How did he find out about them?" Senzen demanded of Anka.

She shrugged. "He said a dream told him." If Sheppard weren't so alarmingly incoherent, she would have found the situation funny. It was the prerogative of the elderly to deem any situation they wished amusing, and she secretly decided this one was.

"A dream." Senzen sounded incredulous. "Sheppard, we are safe here. The Wraith will not find us, and we need not worry."

Sheppard shook his head frantically. He had to make them understand. "They're coming. Won't leave until they find us. Won't leave. Fire at the ground until the city's dead."

"Colonel, you're hysterical." Senzen remained unimpressed with his arguments, though he was alarmed at the man's frenzy. Sheppard had always been so calm. Senzen knew the type. The more he got scared, the calmer he became. Sheppard should not be reacting like this. Was he having side effects from the keras? They were rare among his people, but Sheppard was an off-worlder.

Sheppard apparently didn't like being called hysterical, and something in him seemed to snap. A fire that had been missing for weeks returned to his eyes, and he turned their force on Senzen. "If we do not take care of the Wraith, everyone here is as good as dead."

If Sheppard were honest with himself, he didn't know why he felt so sure of this. Okay, so he'd had a dream. The city seemed to be speaking to him. That was kinda weird, but he could take it. But was she compounding her fear onto his, ensuring he would do as she demanded? He didn't like that thought, but deep down, it felt right. Which meant he had a whole new source of potential trouble.

"How can you be so sure of this Sheppard? They've been on the surface over a week, and have yet to trouble us." Senzen asked.

"The Hive's addicted. The people they've culled before… they made the Wraith addicted to your population." It finally clicked. "That's why they cull your world so often! They will tear this planet apart looking for you."

Addicted? "We do not have the power to fight the Wraith, Colonel. We can only hide." _Unless you know something I don't, which I bet you do, Sheppard. Tell me._

"The drones. I can send drones after the ship. This city should have a supply. Just take me to the Control Chair. It's silver with fancy decorating, usually on a pavilion, glows blue when I sit on it." A pretty bland description, but it was all he could come up with.

Fortunately Senzen recognized the chair he was talking about. "All right, Colonel," he allowed. _I want to see this weapon in action._ "Aef, come with us."

The guard held Sheppard at the elbow, supporting him. After a hesitation, Anka grabbed his other side. Senzen lead the way to a large room near the Control Room, that was empty but for the Chair. He gestured for Sheppard to sit, and the man was all too eager to comply.

Instantly the blue glow appeared and the chair leaned back. A screen appeared before Sheppard, and he could see the Hive-ship. Without really thinking about it, he launched the drones. The occupants of the room had VIP seats to the mayhem the explosions wrought.

Darts burst from the ship, looking for some place to return fire, but their enemy was invisible. Drones blasted each dart as it appeared until no darts were left. The Hive-ship exploded, blinding everyone who was watching. Then the screen was still. They never stood a chance.

No gunpowder. The smell had had followed him for so long after every battle, but he couldn't detect any now. Gunpowder and blood. But he didn't smell either. It was like playing a video game; the bad guy was dead, you win. Would you like to play again?

"Happy? I did it." Sheppard mumbled. "Now I'm all out of quarters." Only Anka was close enough to hear him, and she frowned. The chair returned to its original upright position and powered down. Sheppard remained slumped in the seat.

Senzen could have giggled in glee. A weapon that could cripple the Wraith, and not a single human life in danger. Oh, Sheppard truly was a gift. Perhaps he could serve Nultara beyond providing heirs.

Trying to conceal his triumph, he signaled for Aef and Anka to escort Sheppard back to his room. Sheppard staggered, his exhaustion catching up to him. Anka was surprised he had lasted this long; he was usually down longer than this each day, though the previous night had not been as physically taxing as most.

"Are you all right, Sheppard?" Anka asked quietly once they were out in the hall.

John was forced to lean almost entirely on the Nultarans, but he legs still wobbled pathetically beneath him. His vision was tunneling in and graying at the sides, but before he could tell her, the world folded and he felt the darkness take him, shepherded once more by the gentle humming he had come to recognize as the city's voice.

----------------------------------

_A little break from the dark stuff. Next chapter won't be so easy._


	11. Who's Afraid of the Big Bad City?

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis.

**Chapter 11: Who's Afraid of the Big Bad City?**

"I know you're awake John. I can hear you groaning."

No I'm not.

"Yes you are, now open your eyes."

He tried to comply, but his lids were too heavy. At her urging, he kept trying, and eventually a crack of light appeared through the slits. It was blinding, and he quickly closed them. A weight settled on the bed next to him, and a hand started slapping his cheek. "Open them up, now." A gruff voice commanded.

He blinked again, and slowly the hazel eyes made their debut. Sheppard stared at the old woman before recognition returned, causing him to blink rapidly and shake his head to clear the fuzz. "Anka? What happened?"

Looking around to get his bearings, he realized he was in his room again, and on the dreaded bed, but thankfully his limbs were free. The familiar burning exhaustion radiated from his muscles, and he tried to remember who he had been with this time. But the memory was fleeting and disjointed. Red hair… no, after… black hair… brown eyes, tears… the girl! Did he hurt her? No, no she was just a kid!

Anka felt his trembling, and she took his shoulders in her gruff hands. "Sheppard, stop." She wondered what had brought about his panic. Had he had a nightmare, or did killing Wraith suddenly bother him? Perhaps he had realized his stupidity? All were valid reasons for concern, but not the wild desperation she saw.

Sheppard didn't want to know the truth, didn't want to think about it further, but the leader in him compelled him to ask, to know all the details of his situation. "The girl… the one with brown eyes, and black hair… did I hurt her?" His eyes locked on hers, pleading.

Ah, so that was his concern. "Mavah." Anka informed, giving the face a name. "She is all right for the time being. You apparently became quite uncooperative once you saw her."

Uncooperative? That meant… he hadn't raped her. He didn't. He wasn't that much of a monster. He breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed back against the pillows. So, her name was Mavah. Somehow, Sheppard had a sneaking suspicion that name would be burned into his brain forever.

What little adrenaline he had had was burned up, and he started to drift back to a more peaceful sleep until Anka shook his shoulders roughly, snapping his eyes back open. "What were you thinking, fool?" She demanded.

"What?" What could he have done wrong now? She couldn't possible be mad at him for _not _raping the girl. Anka seemed to have a pretty good understanding of right and wrong by is book.

But Anka's thoughts were on a completely different track. "Are you trying to bribe your way out of this? Do you really think Senzen will stop sending the women to you if you give him weapons instead? He will just take both!"

Bribe? Senzen already had what he wanted, what was there to bribe him with? "Anka, what are you talking about?"

"The blue chair, and you destroying an entire Wraith Hive-ship, that's what I'm talking about!" Had he actually forgotten? Anka didn't want to think about what it could mean if he had.

Sheppard froze. "That was real?" Anka nodded, anger giving way to concern. "I thought I dreamed it."

"Well it was real, young man, and you should not have done that." As if he could take it back. "I don't know if you have any more tricks up your sleeve, but I would recommend you keep them there if you do."

Chastised, he nodded solemnly, but inwardly his thoughts were frantic. Why had he done that? Had he been so unsettled by a mere dream of an enemy he'd faced countless times and was no immediate threat that he had instead given his captors such a valuable weapon?

The city had somehow propelled him into action, he was sure. She had sent the dream, and demanded his intervention. He only had a sketchy remembrance of following her command, as if he were sleepwalking, or swimming underwater, but according to Anka, he must have done what she wanted. His gut clenched at the thought of the city having more than a little influence on what he did. Suggestions to eat the food were one thing, but commanding him to send drones was going too far.

Gathering his courage, he steeled himself, taking several deep breaths, and removing any vestige of emotion from his face. He couldn't let his fear show, not even to Anka; these people had far too much power over him as it was. Last night he had proven their drugs could only push him so far. Then he had been forced to stupidly demonstrate that he had other valuable uses. Any chance he might have had of being released had been destroyed with that ship.

He needed to escape soon, or he was so screwed.

x X x X x X x

Senzen twirled the vial in quick circles, watching the blue and yellow contents mix to form a bright green. Yeris. A neighbor of his, Yorul, used to use yeris when his wife had turned him out of her bed. He later told him it was the best sex a man could ever have. Senzen smiled. He hoped that held true for the women tonight.

He loaded the mixed vial into a syringe and tapped out the air bubbles. He was curious to see how Sheppard would act under the influence. Yorul had bragged that he could go on and on for hours and never tire. Senzen hoped that was true. Sheppard needed to finish his task so Senzen could use him for other things.

Sheppard's display of the city's arsenal this morning had given Senzen a new vision for his people. Why should they cower beneath the surface and hide, when they could destroy the Wraith at their whim? They would finish establishing their base in the city, and then Senzen could lead his people back to the surface. All of Nultara could be inhabited; they needn't choose between safety and fresh air.

Such dreams would have to wait until Sheppard finished his first duty. If something were to happen to him with no heirs to follow, everything would be in ruin.

He left his study, needle in hand. His boots echoed in the narrow hallway, reminding him that he was walking on a hard, clean surface, not the mud that had been a constant companion to every Nultaran before Sanctuary. The guard was squatting outside Sheppard's door, tossing pebbles into his hat. He was just a boy, really, Senzen noted. He stood quickly when he saw Senzen approach.

"Fetch the handlers." He ordered.

The boy ran to fetch them and Senzen rested his ear to the door, trying to hear what Sheppard might be plotting inside. He heard muted conversation, but was unable to understand any of it by the time the boy and four burly men arrived. Senzen nodded at the boy to open the door, and waited outside for the men to subdue Sheppard. They had this to a routine by now.

He heard the sound of bodies hitting the walls and floor, and the rattle of the bed as Sheppard was tied to it. Sheppard was cursing and bleeding from the forehead as Senzen entered the room. "So we try this again Colonel."

"Isn't this getting a little old, Senzen?" Sheppard sneered from his supine position. He was already getting a headache from where one guard had rammed his head into the wall, and his jaw hurt where another had slugged him properly.

Still belligerent, Senzen noted. "Very well then Sheppard, you leave me with no choice." One of the hustlers took a rough hold of Sheppard's left arm, and held it distended and very still. Senzen withdrew the syringe.

"What is that?" Sheppard was alarmed at this new procedure. The guard's grip hurt, but he still tried to wrestle his arm out of the way. New bruises were forming from the vice hold.

"A solution for your reticence. Tonight should be much more productive than last." He sank the needle into the vulnerable crook of Sheppard's elbow, and injected the contents.

Sheppard's reaction was instant. His body went rigid and his back arched off the mattress. His muscles burned as if someone had started a fire and thrown him in the kiln. His eyes opened wide, and he started to scream and thrash, pulling on his bonds. Precious spit flew in all directions as his head jerked wildly, and his skin was quickly turning scarlet.

Senzen turned to the old woman standing in the far corner of the room. "Thank you Anka; you can go for the night." She grimaced, looked at Sheppard's straining form, and made her way to leave.

She stopped next to Senzen and warned, "Nothing good can come of this." With that, she left.

Senzen remained smug, enjoying the sight of Sheppard's useless struggles, until with an almighty heave, Sheppard tore one restraint loose. The guards descended on him, trying to pin down his arm once more. Irrational screams of rage ripped from Sheppard's throat, and he flung them to the ground.

Gaining momentum, he pulled his other arm free, and launched himself at his nearest foe. His legs got tangled up in their restraints, preventing him from hitting his target head on. He nonetheless started mercilessly beating the guard with his fists, and banging his head into the unyielding floor. The guard laid still and a pool of blood gathered beneath his head.

Two guards tried to pull Sheppard off their comrade, and Sheppard turned his frenzied attacks on them. He remained unaware of the pull on his legs and they strained for freedom; he just kept lashing out.

_Have to fight. This is it. _Sheppard repeated this mantra to himself until it was the only thing he could understand. His blood boiled with the substance coursing through it, where once it had caused pain, now it made him strong and fearless. The helplessness he'd been feeling for so long took shape in these men attacking him, and he lashed out as he'd not been able to previously.

Senzen watched in horror as his men were brutally eliminated. This wasn't supposed to happen! He backed up against the wall, morbidly watching the carnage. When the guards were all unconscious (was the first one _dead_?), Sheppard stalked towards Senzen and snarled. Red exploded in his vision as Sheppard decked him and ran.

Gasping, Senzen recovered his breath enough to shout out, "Stop him!" to anyone in the hall who might hear him, before fainting.

Sheppard ran as fast as he could, down the long corridors, looking for a transporter. If he could make it to a jumper he was home free. The ground was cold against his bare feet, but the rest of him was on fire. Muscles that hadn't been put to any decent use in so long rejoiced at the activity.

That the Ancients had built their cities essentially identical to each other was a blessing. Rather than wasting his time searching for an escape route, he already knew where one was.

_John._

The city was calling to him again, but he didn't have the time to listen. He was almost to the transporter. A Nultaran appeared around the corner, and Sheppard attacked. It didn't occur to him to check if the man was armed or not, he just struck, knocking the man unconscious.

The halls were getting darker the further he ran, and the lights weren't activating. The unusualness of this fleetingly occurred to him, but he didn't have the concentration to think about it. All he could think about was his fury, and the need to escape.

He finally reached a transporter. He stepped inside and selected his destination on the screen. Nothing happened. He tried again with the same result. "What the…?" The lights were on, but no one was home.

_John, don't go. Stay here._

He shook his head and ran from the transporter. He'd run to the jumper bay the long way. He could hear the city's singsong voice pleading with him to stay, but he ran.

Doors started closing on him when they shouldn't, and he realized the city itself was aiding the Nultarans in keeping him. "Damn it!" He started banding on the door in frustration. Now he knew what a mouse felt like. Desperation mixed with fury as he tried to think clearly.

_Think, think!_ _What would McKay do?_ He would snap his fingers and then say… crystals! Sheppard clumsily grabbed for the control panel, pulling off the cover in a violent tug. _Now what?_

His thoughts were too slow. He knew he needed to take the red crystal out, and… and… and what? He had to do something with the red crystal. It was on the tip of his brain, but it just hovered there; the information refused to come forth and be useful.

"He's here!" The shouts of many men preceded their entry into the corridor. Knowing his time was up, he threw the crystal across the room in frustration. Sheppard turned his back to the wall and braced himself to fight. Eight men with weapons drawn circled him, and more were coming. "Just relax, friend." One said.

Relax? Hell no. Sheppard let loose a roar and charged. He landed several hits before he heard the "pfft pfft pfft" of the weapons firing, and felt pinpricks in his back, neck, arms, and calves. Vertigo rocked him on his heals, the shock causing him to halt his attack and look.

Nine darts were embedded in his naked skin, delivering their sedatives. He pulled one out before falling to his knees.

_I will NOT be left alone again, John!_

Unconsciousness was a bitch.

x X x X x X x

Tammer watched the Ancestor fight like a man possessed. He had heard of Yeris furies, but this display went far beyond anything he could imagine. Sheppard rushed the guards with single-mindedness, relying on brutality to achieve his goal. Or maybe he had recognized that he could not win, and was looking to inflict maximum damage before being put down. Either way, it was scary, and definitely not characteristic of the man Anka described.

Two men grabbed the now fallen warrior by the shoulders and dragged him down the hallway back to his room. Tammer and three others followed with weapons drawn, just in case, even though nine shots would normally keep three men unconscious for hours. Tammer hunched as he trailed the rest of the group, his aching ribs a testament of the ordeal.

Sheppard's naked body was filthy, covered in blood, sweat, and accumulating dust from being dragged against the long unused floor. Tammer couldn't help but feel sorry for the man, cracked ribs aside. His gaunt frame resembled little of the fit man who had come through the gate.

One Yeris rage, and Senzen's plans for Sheppard had almost been thwarted. None of them would have thought Sanctuary would aid them in keeping Sheppard, and while one guard to Tammer's left mumbled that it was a sign that Sheppard belonged here, Tammer found himself wishing the man had escaped.

Senzen had actually used the Yeris. Tammer still couldn't believe it. Senzen had promised Ifsha he wouldn't, and yet, he was looking at the evidence being dragged down the hall not three feet in front of him.

Something had to be done before Senzen could inject Sheppard again. Tammer had no doubt that Sheppard would harm anyone left in the room with him while in a Yeris rage. Ifsha, Mavah, and plenty others that he loved, or at least knew, were in danger again.

But what could he do, when too many men still blindly followed Senzen's command? He was a farmer, for crying out loud! Until recently, he had never even held a gun, let alone entered in anything more than a mild bar room brawl. Now he needed to either somehow convince Senzen, who believed in this plan with an almost religious zeal, to stop, or somehow remove Sheppard from the picture.

The idea was laughable. He wasn't a soldier, and couldn't pretend to think like one. How could he…?

It was preposterous, it was insane, it was probably treason, but it might work. No one had bothered the man since Sheppard was captured, so he was probably mostly healed. He was military; he would know what to do. And if taking Sheppard with him meant he could escape too, surely Kolya would jump at the chance?

As soon as Sheppard was settled back in his room, one guard went to summon Anka to resume her duties, and Tammer left to make a deal with the devil.

-------------------------

A/N: If you send me lots of pretty reviews, I may just let Sheppard escape sometime in the near future. Not next chapter, but maybe the one after that. If you don't… I can keep thinking of horrible things for Senzen to do to him.


	12. Moving Pieces

_Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis. No, really, I don't._

**Chapter 12: Moving Pieces**

"Kolya!" Tammer hissed from the doorway.

The dark form sprawled across the cot jerked and the head slowly rose to reveal bloodshot brown eyes. Kolya squinted and groaned before rolling over and relaxing, presenting his visitor with a full view of his naked and scarred backside.

Impatient, Tammer rushed across the room to the man, intending to shake him awake. "Commander Kolya!" he hissed again. His time was limited; he had to be quick.

As soon as the young man was within reach, Kolya quickly spun around and clasped his hands around Tammer's throat. Tammer froze in shock, then desperately tried to pry away the strong hands. Kolya looked dispassionately into his victim's bulging eyes, before snarling, "I have nothing more to say to you, Nultaran scum. Begone from my sight." After a brief squeeze to reinforce the message, Kolya roughly threw the man away from himself and to the floor.

Wheezing, Tammer held his hands protectively around his throat, desperately trying to regain his composure. He coughed several times, and black dots danced in and out of his vision. He painfully raised himself onto his knees, feeling the pain from earlier Sheppard-induced injuries combine themselves with his new ones.

Kolya watched him warily as Tammer stood, and hoped he would just leave, though Kolya doubted he would be so fortunate.

"Commander Kolya," Tammer tried again as he stood, this time with a much more subdued tone. "I have a proposition you will want to hear." He tried to keep the desperation out of his eyes, knowing that it would be all too easy for the slippery man to take advantage of.

Kolya raised an eyebrow. "A proposition? I've been here almost a year; anything Senzen wants from me he already has." He unconsciously rubbed a hand across a long scar running the length of his forearm, not too dissimilar to one he had inflicted on Dr. McKay.

Tammer was oblivious to Kolya's movement, and merely shook his head. "I do not come on behalf of Senzen. This deal is between you and me."

Kolya felt the smallest twinge of pity for the young man before him. A deal between just the two of them? Did he honestly think either of them was in a position to deal? Even if this one man had finally become disillusioned with his leader, there was little he could do; Senzen ran the Nultarans with an iron fist. But still, it was bad practice to overlook any opportunity. "I'm listening."

"I'm willing to help you escape," Tammer offered, "But once you are free, you must contact Colonel Sheppard's people and tell them he is here."

_That's it?_ Kolya found it difficult to believe the simplicity of this man's offer. "Why couldn't you just tell Sheppard's people yourself?"

Tammer looked dejected. "We are not allowed to return to the surface. For some reason, our lifesigns show up different on Sanctuary's censors than yours, or Sheppard's. If a Nultaran were to go above, Senzen would know."

_Interesting._ Kolya filed that bit of information away for later. He would have to tell Laden, and see if he knew why. "Not to defeat my own get away, but wouldn't it be safer for some random Nultaran to go above, than someone who is obviously either Sheppard or myself? You could send a message to Atlantis and return before Senzen determines who actually left."

Oh, how Tammer wished it were so easy. "Senzen is paranoid about the Nultaran people fracturing and splitting up. There are those who have expressed an interest in returning to the surface, and Senzen fears that if some were to go, our civilization would end up splitting into two tribes." Kolya mentally snorted at the thought of the Nultarans as a 'civilization'.

"Those in charge of monitoring the censors are on the look out for any Nultaran returning above. If one should try, they will instantly close down the city, until they find whoever is responsible and punish them. But if you were to go, I honestly believe Senzen would not worry much."

"You think so?" Kolya let the disdain coat his voice. Senzen was too hateful to ever let him go, not to mention Kolya knew too much about Nultara's activities. The instant he was free, a Genii strike force would be in place to take the city in a heartbeat. No, Senzen knew that Kolya would always be a threat.

Tammer nodded. "The main reason he has kept you since Sheppard arrived was his fear that you would expose us to your people, or even the Wraith. But now that Sheppard has shown him the weapon chair, Senzen is no longer concerned about the secrecy of Sanctuary. As far as he is concerned, you are no longer a threat."

Tammer lips quirked into a small smile as he shrugged, attempting to mimic the other's nonchalance. "It probably won't be long until he kills you. You're eating food and contributing nothing." There, now Kolya had to agree to help him.

_Sheppard actually showed them the chair? What was he thinking? He must be even more incapacitated then I thought. _Kolya figured his execution was only a matter of time now that his usefulness was up. "How would you get me out of this city without being noticed? I assume you're acting alone." The kid was too frightened not to be, and hid it poorly.

Tammer frowned at Kolya's lack of confidence in him, not understanding the man's concern. "There are tunnels to the surface. Most have been caved in, either by time or Senzen's sabotage, but there are still a few intact. I will take you to an entrance, and tell you where to go from there. After that, you'll be on your own."

He'd take him to a tunnel. Oh boy, oh boy. Kolya tried to contain his abundance of glee. If only Senzen had shared this man's brilliance. At this point, Kolya figured he had nothing to lose by trying. He would just have to improvise as he went along. "I assume so clothes are part of this deal."

Kolya smirked as the man jumped away and blushed, having just realized that Kolya was naked. Tammer was spending too much time with Sheppard, if he was immune to nakedness by now. "Of course." he hastily included.

"Then you have my word," Kolya's smirk grew larger. "You help me get out of here, and then I will contact Atlantis shortly thereafter."

Either Tammer didn't think the slight alteration of the wording of Kolya's promise was important, or he didn't notice. "Good. We must hurry."

x X x X x X x

Sheppard's eyes blinked often as his head rolled side to side of its own will. Anka patted a cold cloth against his fevered forehead, trying to bring what little comfort she could to the man. Sheppard knew she was there, but didn't have the strength to interact with her.

If Sheppard thought he'd felt weak before, this must be what a corpse felt like. His arms and legs might as well not have existed, for all he could feel them. He felt a weight below his chin, so he knew his chest was still there, but other than that, the world ended with the blurry images his eyes sometimes opened enough to slip through.

Anka was talking to him, but the words were meaningless. Some part of him knew that he should concentrate on what she was saying, but his brain was grease that slipped immediately through his fingers every time he tried to gather it. Even the pain that he vaguely understood he was in didn't affect him. All he could do was lay on his bed and drift in numbness.

Anka sighed as she tended Sheppard. The man was a mess, but all he needed was a lot of sleep and he'd recover. When she saw Senzen and two guards come through the door, she knew he'd never get it.

"You can't seriously expect him to perform in this condition?" She was horrified to see Senzen withdraw another green syringe. Was the mixture darker than last time?

Senzen signaled the guard to escort Anka away from the bed. "He has his duty," he reminded her.

"Yes, because Yeris worked so well last time." Anka spat.

Senzen was already manipulating Sheppard's unresisting arm so the vulnerable underside was exposed. "Last time I miscalculated. Sheppard has grown too used to the Keras; he was far too immune to its effects. I have adjusted this dose in accordance." As he talked Senzen inserted the needle and depressed the plunger. "You'll be more cooperative this time, won't you Sheppard?"

Sheppard convulsed as the Yeris rushed through his system. Limbs jerked and muscles contracted before Sheppard shot up in the bed, eyes wide, and throwing his head violently from side to side. "No…!" he grunted, whether in response, dispair, or in a desperate attempt to maintain control of his actions, Anka was unsure.

Senzen hastily retreated from the bed as Sheppard fluctuated between harsh contortions and angrily searching the room. The guard steered Anka by the upper arm out of the room as another guard came in leading Ifsha in, in an identical fashion.

"Senzen, what is happening?" Ifsha sounded uncertain and somewhat desperate. As she glimpsed Sheppard she screamed, finally understanding why she had been summoned so urgently without explanation. "Senzen, you promised!"

Ifsha struggled against her guard, drawing Sheppard's attention. "You," Sheppard snarled. His convulsions ceased as he focused on her. He remembered what the woman with the red hair always did to him, how she used him. So she wanted to play again, huh?

"Senzen, please!" Ifsha cried as the guard threw her at Sheppard. Anka saw Sheppard catch her and hold her tightly as Senzen closed the door, muting her pleas.

Anka stared at the supposed savior of the Nultaran people, before drawing her arm back and slapping him across the face. "This is why you brought us here? To have our own people raped!"

Senzen staggered under the blow, and one of the guards was instantly holding Anka's arm in a light but restraining grip. Fury lit Senzen's eyes before a calm iciness replaced it. "I think you've gotten a little too close to Sheppard, Anka. Your services are no longer required."

Anka snorted. "I do not have to be close to Sheppard to know that this is wrong. More than that, it's revolting. I want nothing more to do with this anyway." As she started to stalk away she muttered just loud enough for Senzen to hear, "Sooner or later, Sheppard is going to kill you. The only question is how many people will have to suffer first?"

"Be thankful I don't have you arrested for your blasphemy Anka!" Senzen called after her retreating form. "Maybe I should," He quietly added, studying her confident gait.

x X x X x X x

The red head didn't seem so happy to see him this time, Sheppard noted. Rather than pushing him down and forcing him to comply with what she wanted, she was pushing him away and screaming at him. Her fists beat at his chest, and her legs lashed out at his shins.

She smelled so good. He ran his nose through her hair, following it down her neck and over her shoulder, enjoying the smell of her. His hands ran circles over her shoulders and arms, enjoying the feel of the material rubbing underneath them. But that scratching wasn't the sensation he was looking for.

He pulled the fabric away from her shoulder, revealing the beautiful creamy skin hiding beneath. "Please don't do this," she sobbed.

Don't do this? Wasn't she the one who usually demanded this of him? He roughly shoved her onto the bed. Didn't she always ask for this, require it?

The shoulder was smooth, but Sheppard wanted to feel more. He quickly dispatched the rest of her clothes, reveling in the smooth skin. It felt so good against his throbbing muscles. He was so hot, and her skin was blissfully cool against his.

He played with her as she had played with him, enjoying the reversal. For once, he got satisfaction out of giving her exactly what she wanted.

x X x X x X x

Kolya was pleasantly surprised to discover that Tammer was actually somewhat smarter than he had given him credit for. Whether by sheer fortune or for some nefarious purpose, Kolya's room (aka cell) was situated on the outskirts of the inhabited portion of the city.

"Senzen wasn't so keen on some unknowing citizen stumbling across your quarters." Tammer explained, noticing the man's surprise.

_Ah, that makes sense._ Kolya acknowledged. For the first time in almost a year he was clothed, and he felt somewhat strange in them after going so long without. He was wearing an outfit similar to Tammer's; in fact, they probably were another set of his clothes. It was fortunate they were of a similar height.

Tammer guided them down dark hallways, avoiding both transporters and people. In less than twenty minutes, Tammer stopped in front of a door that looked exactly like every other one they had passed. "Go through here, and follow the tunnels. They will split twice. Both times, take the right tunnel. It will exit within feet of the Stargate."

Kolya was torn between exultation at escape, and irritance that he had been so close to it for months, with only his locked cell door standing in the way. If he had jumped a guard earlier when they delivered his food, he could have escaped easily. But then, he had been weak from torture, and more importantly, had not known the route.

With a nod to the young man, Kolya opened the door and disappeared into the tunnel. As Tammer shut the door behind him, the light disappeared and Kolya realized that he would have to travel without a light source.

He raised his right arm (the left was still broken, if finally bandaged) and carefully felt for the wall. Dust and cobwebs met his fingers, but Kolya ignored them. The floor was mostly clear of debris, although he did occasionally trip over a rock that had at some point departed the ceiling.

By the time he reached the first intersection Tammer had described, he was panting. "I've gone far too long without decent exercise." Kolya griped. He regretted not asking Tammer for a water container to take with him, but he refused to harp on what he could not change.

He trudged on, taking little time for rest. Tammer might be confident that Senzen would not chase him, but he would take no chances. The city's weapons were only effective against an enemy located outside the city. As long as he stayed in the tunnel, he was safe. If the tunnel really ended near the Stargate, he could travel to and from it with little risk of being blasted away. Tammer might not have taken that into account, but Senzen might have.

Finally the wall ended, and Kolya's hand encountered the thin cylindrical surface of a ladder. _Yes. _He was there. Cradling his left arm to his chest, he mounted the ladder, careful not to slip on the slick surface.

When his hand ran out of rungs, he lifted it over his head and was relieved to feel the handle of a hatch. Pushing with all his might, Kolya nearly lost his footing as he was barraged with his first view of daylight in months. Fresh air filled his nostrils as he emerged from underground, the Stargate, as promised, just beyond the tree line.

Kolya sloshed through the ankle high mud to the DHD. He wiped away the mud clinging to the symbols as he dialed his destination, and with his first heartfelt smile in over a year, ran through the blue wormhole.

------------------------------

_A/N: Oh, I so censored this chapter. Did you really want to read about Sheppard raping someone? I apologize if you did, uh… I can fix it if you really want…. Next chapter will be waaay more Sheppard centric._


	13. I Am Not An Animal

_Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis, or any other TV show you might drool over. But if someone would like to donate them to me, that would be okay._

**Chapter 13: I Am Not An Animal**

Mavah looked up from the wooden figurine she was carving when she heard the main door to her family's chambers open. Uncontrolled sobbing preceded her sister's shouts. "No! You leave her alone! Mavah!"

A loud thumping noise followed and then a heavy silence before the sobbing continued. Mavah sat frozen in fright, unable to imagine what danger could possibly exist in Sanctuary. She heard footsteps approaching and knew she was about to find out.

The figurine dropped from her nerveless fingers as two unfamiliar men entered her private room, their faces obscured by the dim lighting. Once they were in front of her, she realized they looked grim as they firmly latched onto her arms. "You must come with us," one of them said.

Mavah allowed her carving knife to fall into the pocket of her skirt as she was led from the room. Ifsha was collapsed on the floor, sobbing hysterically while another man held her by her shoulder in a kneeling position. It was so wrong to see such hostility in her living room, with the fire crackling peacefully behind her sister.

The two men led her straight to the door. "Ifsha," Mavah called over her shoulder. "What's happening?"

She was escorted out of their quarters before Ifsha even had a chance to shout a warning to her sister. "Where are we going?" Mavah tried asking the two men.

"To fulfill your duty." The same one who had answered her before answered her again.

Mavah gulped. Was she to meet with the Ancestor again? She started trembling as she realized that she was supposed to try and make the man have sex with her again. Make him violate her again. She didn't want this. She wasn't ready.

"What happened to my sister?" Why had she been crying? Visits with Sheppard always made her excited before, and she had yelled at Mavah for being scared. All the other girls and women on Nultara had done this, Ifsha had informed her, why should she be the only one to put up a fuss? Ifsha warned her that to refuse her duty was to endanger the entire Nultaran future.

Had something happened to Sheppard? Was that what was wrong? Were the Nultarans indeed doomed?

"She was reluctant to do her duty. But you are braver than your sister, right?" The guard asked her, dismissing her unspoken fears for Sheppard.

_Ifsha_ was reluctant? Mavah remembered the conversation she had overheard Ifsha and Tammer having just yesterday. Ifsha had said it was no longer a duty, but a crime, to force the Ancestor. Tammer had been upset with the idea from the start. Mavah did not like the confusion, didn't like not knowing if what Senzen wanted her to do was right or wrong. The Ancestor _was _clearly being forced.

But if it was right, why was she so scared? If it were really the right thing to do, wouldn't the Ancestor be eager to help them? He had given them Sanctuary. And still more importantly, why was Ifsha crying?

Three guards were waiting for them outside Sheppard's room. The guard who had answered her questions gave her a quick squeeze around the shoulders. "Chin up, girl. You can do this."

Mavah felt tears trying to spill out of her eyes, but she bit her lip and closed them tight. She was a big girl, almost a woman, and she would not cry. Opening her eyes, she took a deep breath and nodded that she was ready.

After another encouraging squeeze, one guard opened the door as another drew his weapon and pointed it at the man inside. Mavah weaved through them and entered the room, hearing the door close quickly behind her with an ominous thud.

Sheppard's restless pacing stopped at the activity. _So, someone else is coming to see me. Well, I wish they would just leave me alone!_ The anger was back. It was always brewing beneath the surface, slithering under his skin like a thousand creepy, crawly, insects, making him want to lash out to dispel them. Or maybe just tear his own skin off.

The red head's soft skin had been a welcome relief from the skeeviness. But now she was gone, but another girl was here. Would she bring him relief from the burning, aching, and crawling? He settled his shoulder against the wall, the only cool surface available to him, as he waited to see what would happen.

The room was silent as the two occupants considered each other. As always, Sheppard was naked, Mavah noted, but unlike last time, he was not restrained on the bed. He was leaning against a wall on the other side of the room, just staring at her. It was creepy. His posture was tense, and his body was shaking. Sweat covered every inch of him, and as he shrugged off the wall and approached her, Mavah also realized he smelled very, very bad.

"You were here before," Sheppard whispered, finally recognizing the somewhat familiar face. "With the red head."

"Ifsha, my sister," Mavah confirmed. Dread twisted her stomach in knots as she made herself ask, "What did you do to her?"

The Ancestor grinned maliciously. "I gave her exactly what she wanted, what she always asks of me." He sauntered up to her and let a hand rest on her shoulder. "Is that what you are here for?"

The hand was an obvious invasion of her personal space, and the sweat it leaked through her shirt made her skin crawl. How was she supposed to sleep with this man? Last time he at least smelled good and was making funny, if weird, comments. This time he was different, more animalistic and crass. The change in his demeanor chipped at the reserves of courage she had called upon outside.

"You made her cry." She accused him.

His other hand rose to stroke her cheek as his eyes locked with hers. Some primal instinct screamed at her to run, but his grip on her shoulder was firm. All she could do was tremble.

"Do you want me to make you cry?" Sheppard asked. He liked this girl's fear. He'd been powerless far too long.

Mavah gasped. "What?"

Sheppard continued stroking her cheek. "You wanted something from me too last time. You wanted to use me, like she and all the others used me." The hand abruptly lowered and took a rough hold on her neck, but did not squeeze. "I don't like being used." He hissed.

This time Mavah could not stop the tears from falling, but she did her best to make no noise. Was he going to kill her? The hand at her shoulder traced the length of her arm before making its way back up towards her chest.

She winced as he cupped her small breast, his thumb running back and forth across her nipple. She couldn't really feel much through the thick fabric of her shirt, for which she was grateful, but she was still terrified of what he was doing.

"Please stop," she asked in a quiet voice. "Please."

Sheppard cocked his head as he considered her. "I thought this was what you wanted?" He grabbed her hand and brought it to his own chest, forcing her to mirror the movements on himself. He released her throat and brought his hand to her cheek again.

Mavah tried to make herself relax, to remind herself that this was why she was here. Instead, every time he touched her, she felt herself grow more desperate, the terror of her first visit returning in full force. Had Ifsha felt this terror? Was that why she was crying? "Stop, please…." she tried again.

Sheppard was tired of hearing her whine. No one cared that he didn't want this; why should he? He proceeded with the easiest way to silence her.

Mavah felt her words suddenly cut off as chapped lips latched onto hers, sucking hard, and a strong tongue invaded her mouth. She tried to pull away, but Sheppard's hand held the back of her head, leaving no place for her to go. The tongue moved over every tooth, gum, and crevice in her mouth, leaving nauseating trails of his saliva as he went.

She cried out as she was unexpectedly released and throw with sudden force onto the soft mattress. Sheppard's knees were on either side of her as his hands ran along her body once more. "No, no, no…" she kept repeating, forgetting all efforts to be brave. She just wanted to go back to her room, her old room, in her house on the surface. She wanted to be away from this city, and back to the life she knew.

Sheppard's anger had a hard time holding on as the girl cried. This was not the reaction he'd expected. The other woman had just lain there, expressing the passivity he had been drugged into. There was something poetic about it. But this girl… this was different. His gut clenched and he knew this was wrong.

He imagined faces looking at him in disgust over what he was doing. McKay was sneering at him and unleashing the full fury of his verbal arsenal. Teyla and Elizabeth frowned and walked away. Ronon caressed his pistol in a clear message. "What are you doing Sheppard?" the Satedan asked him.

What was he doing? He was giving Senzen exactly what he wanted, what he swore he wouldn't do, that's what. He was raping a terrified girl.

The hands stopped their roaming, and for a blissful moment, Mavah was left unmolested. Daring to open her eyes, she saw the hazel ones staring into hers, open wide with horror. Mavah allowed herself to look at the rest of him, and saw that all his muscles were clenched tight, the muscles in his neck ripping as Sheppard fought a war within himself.

"I'm sorry." He whispered. He was still on top of her, and seemed frozen in that state. He knew he should release her, but the spiders and beetles were crawling all over his muscles again, demanding that he either lash out or soothe them away.

"Let me go?" she asked equally as quietly, recognizing the features of the man she had seen before, the good man.

But whatever battle he had been fighting with himself was lost with these words. The fury returned to his eyes as he hissed, "Let you go? Let me go!" His fist swung and met her cheek with such force she swore she heard something in her neck crack. "Fuck you all!" Sheppard screamed, and more blows followed.

After all this time, they wanted to be left alone? What about when he wanted to be left alone. The faces of his friends disappeared, and the critters were back with a vengeance.

Mavah screamed at each impact, trying desperately to get away from the crazed man. She tried to get her hands in front of her face to protect it, but Sheppard shoved them out of the way as he struck her face, her chest, and her shoulders.

_I am a human being! I am not some cow with no more purpose than to breed so you can have more meat! I won't let you use me anymore! _Over and over these thoughts filter through Sheppard's mind, the rage blocking out all else. _I'll kill you!_

Mavah gasped as he hit her solar plexus, and rolled onto her side, desperately trying to suck in air. Something sharp dug into her hip as she rolled, and she realized she still had her carving knife.

With a scream of her own, she dug it out of her pocket and rammed it into the shoulder of her attacker. Sheppard froze as she withdrew it, ready to strike again if necessary.

Sheppard stared at the knife as his hand rose to his shoulder. He dropped his gaze to inspect the wound, which was deep, but not deadly. The rich, red blood coated his fingers and trailed down his chest, mirroring her tears falling down her shirt.

She had stabbed him. He felt the sudden urge to laugh. She stabbed him.

It was the wake up call he needed to realize that he was doing it again. Just moments after comprehending that he had been about to rape a defenseless girl, he had tried to beat her to death. He truly was a monster. And Senzen was going to drug him into doing this time and time again. How many more girls would he hurt?

Mavah tried to roll out from under the man, but his legs still held her in place tight. He looked at her once more, and reached out to take her knife hand in his bloody one. Mavah pulled back and made a threatening strike towards his face, but his military trained reflexes allowed him to cover her hand with his own.

The knife stilled, but Sheppard made no move to remove it from her. Instead, both were very still as he ordered her, "Do it."

Let her stop him from hurting anyone else in this madness. At first he had held out, hoping Atlantis would come for him. But he'd been here for what seemed like forever, and no rescue had come. In the meantime, he'd been subjected to every last whim of the insane dictator that held him, turned into a breeding machine, and now, a rapist. If death was the only way to prevent him from succumbing to that one last fate, then so be it. Let him keep that one last piece of his soul intact.

He was sorry if that was adding any emotional baggage the girl was going to take away from this experience, but it was for the best.

Mavah stared at him, at first in confusion, then in horror when she realized what he was asking. She tried to shake her head 'no,' but Sheppard had already pulled her arm back, and with terrifying force, he drove the blade into his own chest again, into his heart.

_No! John, John! _The City sprang to life in his head again, calling him, but he ignored it. His mind was floating letting the river carry him away from this place. _No, you can't die. John!_

The City's rage turned towards Mavah, who could not hear it. _You killed him! _The voice was hysterical inside Sheppard's head, as the city's alarms sounded outside it. _Help him! _She cried.

The guards came rushing into the room as they heard the alarms. They were met with the sight of a sobbing teenager, and a bleeding and impaled Ancestor. Shouts were raised, and one guard was sent to fetch Senzen.

"What did you do?" One demanded harshly.

Mavah could only cry as they dragged her roughly from the bed.

More people swarmed into the room, brought by the hubbub and alarms, creating a bustle of completely useless activity, while Sheppard lay on the bed dying. Finally Senzen strode through the door, and the room calmed somewhat at his solid presence. "What happened?" he demanded.

"She stabbed him, sir," one guard volunteered, shaking the sobbing girl.

Senzen looked at the prone figure on the bed, panting shallowly as a guard held a piece of ripped cloth against the wound. The knife lay innocently on the floor, sheathed in red.

Senzen's eyes locked on her as he strode up to her. With a sudden fury to rival Sheppard's, he slammed his fist across he jaw. Mavah barely felt it between her other injuries and her panic.

_I killed the Ancestor. Someone help me, I killed an Ancestor_. The rest of the world ceased to exist as her guilt wrapped her in a tight blanket.

"Get her out of here." Senzen snarled. "And summon someone to take care of him!" Why were these useless oafs just standing there? The hope of their entire people lay dying on the bed.

Senzen moved closer to study what was left of the man. Sheppard's skin was pale over the drug-induced flush. His eyes were closed, and there was no movement behind the lids. Senzen watched with growing despair as the shallow breaths became shorter and shorter, until there were none.

Sheppard felt a sense of relief that it was all over and he allowed his eyes to close for one last time, blocking out the sight of the girl he had almost raped again. He had done it. He had saved his soul from this one last crime. For the first time in more years than he cared to count, John Sheppard felt at peace with his actions.

_John! John, stay awake! _ _Stay with me! No! Don't leave me alone again! _The City could call to him all she wanted, but Sheppard was all too happy to release himself to the void that came to him.

_John!_

-----------------------------------------------

_A/N: Hehe, I'm so evil._


	14. But In Dreams

_Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis, etc._

**Chapter 14: But In Dreams**

The alarms were still ringing, annoying all those keeping vigil over Sheppard. "Is there no way to turn this accursed noise off? Go to the Control Room and tell them to fix it!" Senzen demanded to an unhelpful audience. No one could look away from the bloody red cloth that was all that stood between Sheppard and death. Senzen was displeased at the lack of expediency in carrying out his orders, but his thoughts were sidetracked by the figure in the door.

All faces turned to Anka as she entered the room, a small basket of herbs and sewing tools hanging from her elbow. She snarled her way through the crowd, worry adding strength to her movements. She didn't know exactly what was happening, and that bothered her. The young runner who had fetched her had said that the Ancestor had been stabbed and that she was to come immediately. Silently congratulating whichever whelp had struck back at this farce of procreation, Anka made her way towards Sheppard.

The man was deathly still, with only minute breaths raising his chest. The scraps of material pressed against the wounds were soaked through, and there was a disturbingly large pile of rags already discarded to the floor. Blood whoozed through the fingers of the man holding the rag in place. Without hesitation, she took charge.

"You," she pointed to a gawking boy hovering nearby. "Fetch me a bowl of warm water, and be quick about it!" The boy nodded and shot off like the wind.

"Can you save him?" Senzen asked.

"Does it matter?" Anka sneered. "You've already gotten what you want from him. But I'll do what I can... for his sake, not for you."

Senzen controlled his urge to strike the woman as she organized several jars of powder and goo from her basket. He cursed whatever forces had blessed this insolent hag with such a wide array of usefulness, making her indispensable no matter how much she aggravated him. How he longed to just be rid of her, yet it seemed he needed her more and more at every turn. Had she planned this? Senzen found it ironic that she had threatened Sheppard would be the killer of his people, not the other way around.

He looked at the girl who had disappointed him so. Mavah still sat huddled in the corner crying, her eyes never leaving Sheppard's body. Red smears dotted her shirt and face where her fingers had at one point or another trailed in her absent jerking. Why hadn't somebody taken her away yet? "Don't just stand around, fool." He barked at the nearest idle body. "Take that traitor to a cell. We will deal with her later. And somebody else take care of this racket!" he repeated his demand about the alarms again.

Mavah's whimpers gained momentum as she was pulled to her feet by a strong arm. "You will do no such thing with her," Anka voiced without looking up. She had taken over the duty of applying pressure to Sheppard's wounds, and was carefully trying to peak under the rags. "Take her to her rooms. She doesn't need to bear witness any further."

Senzen felt his fury grow at the woman's nerve, coupled with the headache the screaming city was giving him, he did not have much patience. "Do not think to contradict my orders in this city! Guard, you will take her to a cell, and you will do so now."

The occupants of the room were silent but for Mavah whimpering as the guard hesitated, then took her from the room. Whether he was escorting her back home or to a cell was unclear, even to the guard as he tried to decide the right thing to do. Another man left quickly for the Control Room, glad for the easier job.

The boy returning with a bowl of steaming water distracted anyone from making further argument. As he placed the bowl on the floor by Anka's feet, she frowned and scolded sharply, "I said warm, not hot. Do you want me to burn his skin off? Never mind, put it on the bed next to me."

The boy hastened to do as he was told, then stepped back and stared in morbid fascination. Anka pulled out a large jar of purple powder and dumped the entire contents into the bowl. She then added some flakey white chips from another jar and stirred with wooden stick. The water was absorbed by the powder and chips, forming a lavender gelatinous substance.

Anka took a fresh cloth from her basket and smeared a generous portion of the stuff onto it. She applied the cream first around the rags of Sheppard's chest wound. Rubbing the fresh cloth in circles around the bloody rag, she worked her way closer to the actual site of the wound, winding her way closer, removing the sides of the rag as she got there.

"What is that stuff?" the boy dared to ask.

"Norrinu. It's an old herb who's making many have forgotten. It will stop his wounds from bleeding, but will not heal the damage." Anka appeared to be concentrating as she neared Sheppard's heart, but she nodded towards Senzen to let him know the next part was directed at him and not the boy. "It won't cure him, but it should help. I am only buying him time, Senzen. It is not within my power to cure wounds such as this."

"Find a way." Senzen insisted.

Anka ignored him as she dipped the rag in the Norrinu again. Taking a rather thick slab this time, she removed the final piece of rag guarding the wound over Sheppard's heart. Anka realized with a flash of elation that the wound wasn't directly over his heart, but rather to the side of it, although it may have nicked the outer wall.

Sheppard's body tensed briefly as she plopped the scathing hot substance directly on top of the wound. Some of it had seeped straight through to his chest cavity, filling up the hole from the inside, leaving a no doubt slightly more than uncomfortable feeling than just the tickle on his chest-- not that he was awake to realize. She still took it as a good sign that his body reacted at all.

The Norrinu formed a thick layer over the whole in Sheppard's chest, and the bleeding ceased. Several onlookers gasped in amazement. Anka watched Sheppard's face for any reaction, but didn't receive any. She dutifully repeated the procedure on his shoulder wound before cleaning his chest once more of the blood coating it.

"Are you finished? Will he survive?" Senzen demanded.

"Yes, then no." Anka responded with a sigh as she stood from the bed. "I have done all I can for him, but I can not promise he'll survive. I have plugged his wounds like a cork in a barrel. The hole is gone for now, but the wood is not whole again, and the water can still seep through. He needs more help than I can give him. You might want to consider returning him to his people."

"No!" Anka was unsurprised at Senzen's outburst. He was a man losing control too fast for his liking. "Sheppard has a duty to Nultara, and he will continue to carry it out." Senzen did his best to tower over Anka, but they were the same height. If anything, Anka exhibited an unconscious authority that made her seem to somehow tower over him.

Looks were exchanged between the people hovering about the room, which Senzen finally seemed to notice. Alarmed, he hissed, "What are you all still doing here? Get back to work, or whatever it is you were doing. Go on!" Turning swiftly, he glared at Anka. "You will stay here with him until he is healed or dead."

Unsurprised by the order, Anka resealed her jars and packed them in the basket once more. Senzen strode from the room, and the rest of the audience milled about for a few minutes, taking in the scene, before departing.

Anka took a moment to bury her face in her hands and breath, trying to sort out her grief for the man dying on the bed, before she felt someone standing over her. Looking up, she saw it was her errand boy from earlier. "What do you want?"

The boy gulped before offering, "I just wanted to know if you needed anything else ma'am?" He looked like he'd rather run away, but he kept his shy gaze focused on her feet, waiting for an answer.

Anka felt the corner of her lips twist at the boy's unexpected offer of kindness, and forced herself to respond as kindly as she was capable. "No, thank you son."

"Is the Ancestor really going to die?" he asked.

Anka sighed. "Most likely. Yes, I'm afraid so."

The boy nodded morosely as he left, leaving Anka alone in her vigil.

x X x X x X x

The City's alarms finally shut down on their own after an hour, much to the relief of the Nultarans who had been unable to turn them off themselves. The few remaining hours of the day passed uneventfully as Anka maintained her watch over the unconscious Sheppard, whose complexion continued to pale as his body shut down.

Dala ran her hand lightly over her abdomen, smiling fondly at the slight bulge she imagined there. She knew she wasn't far enough along that she should be able to feel the baby, but there it was nice to pretend. Some of the other pregnant women were concerned about the means of acquiring their pregnancies, but not Dala. She couldn't wait for her little bundle of joy to be born.

She fell asleep in her bed still thinking about her good fortune bearing an Ancestor's baby. She was the first have a confirmed pregnancy, and as far as she was concerned, she would be the first to give birth. Hers would be the first born of a new breed of Nultarans. One that was half Nultaran, and half Ancestor. She was truly honored to be such a crucial part of history.

Rather than her usually dreams about the spiky haired man with beautiful green eyes, Dala dreamed of dark hallways and lifeless machines. Her dream steered her down unknown parts of an Ancestral City, through a maze of unending corridors that lit up as she passed through them.

In her dream she walked for what seemed like miles, propelled by some unknown force, before stopping in a room filled with clear coffins. Stepping inside, she stopped in front of one of the coffins and realized it was more of a frosted glass case. The case started to glow from the inside as she waved her hand across the panel in front of it.

Wiping away the frost with her sleeve, she looked inside the case to see Sheppard sleeping inside. Blood flowed from a severe wound in his chest. Dala gasped in horror, but stood mesmerized as the blood began to recede back up his chest and into the wound. The wound sealed tightly once the all the blood returned, leaving no traces of the injury anywhere.

_Bring him here. _A voice commanded. _ Save him!_

"Save him!" Dala awoke screaming the words of her dream. Realizing that she was now awake, she quickly scrambled out of bed and out the door, foregoing her night robe or even shoes. She hastened out of the corridor, ignoring Hazzan's worried call, "Dala! Where are you going?"

She ignored the cold seeping through her bare feet until she finally reached Senzen's office. "Senzen!" she called, banging on the door. One woman's head popped out a nearby door, awoken by the noise, and looked at her in askance.

Senzen was not pleased to be disturbed at the late hour. Shouldn't whoever it is be sleeping? Thoughts of Sheppard dying in the middle of the night had him running to answer the knocking though. Seeing not Anka, as he half-expected, but Dala whom he'd not seen in weeks, surprised him. "Dala? What is it?"

"The Ancestor," she panted. "We can save him. I know how to save him!" She laughed in excitement.

"Calm down, Dala. What are you talking about?" How did she even know he was in danger?

"I had a dream, Senzen," she explained. "I saw the blood, and it was awful, dripping everywhere, painting everything red. Yuck. But it showed me how to save him. We have to hurry." She started to leave the office to fetch Sheppard when Senzen pulled her back.

"Dala, as happy as this makes me, it was a dream," Senzen's voice was condescending when he realized he'd been dragged from bed by some blonde's flights of fancy. "Go back to bed."

He started to push her out the door when the alarms started ringing again. "Oh no," Senzen groaned, wanting to hide from the incessant ringing. He dropped his hand from her arm to cover his ears. As soon as he released Dala's arm, the sirens ceased. "What the…?"

They both looked around warily, unsure of what happened. Dala bit her lip, before offering, "Um, I think she wants you to listen to me."

Senzen stared at her in amazement, but was unable to dismiss the miraculous timing of the events. "Are you saying Sanctuary was talking to you in your dream?"

"No, well maybe… I don't know," she shook her head, "It was so real. I mean, yes, I know I was just dreaming it, but it felt like it was real. Somewhere here is a glass box, a little larger than a coffin. If we put Sheppard in there, it will save him!"

"A glass box? What are you talking about?" Now Senzen was feeling spooked and getting impatient for the wench to be gone. She'd done her duty, and was now carrying the Ancestor's child, and now she was in cahoots with Sanctuary to haunt him at night? Didn't she understand that he part in this was done?

"It was in a room in this city. In my dream, as I entered, all the lights turned on. Before me was a glass case, but the glass was frosted over. I ran my hand across a panel in front of it, and the case seemed to light up from the inside. I wiped away the moisture to have a look, and inside was the Ancestor, bleeding everywhere. But then the wound just seemed to magically close, and then I heard a voice, the most wonderful voice, telling me to bring him there and that he would be saved!" Dala seemed to be having a religious experience, as far as Senzen was concerned.

A glass case that could save Sheppard. Senzen pondered the idea for a moment before a wriggling little creature grabbed hold of his brain. A Stasis Chamber. That was what Kolya had called it. The Ancestors used to put living souls in the chambers, and it would preserve their live forces until they were revived.

How could he have forgotten?

Quietly asking Dala, not daring to hope too much, "And you think you can find this room? From you dream?"

Eagerly, Dala nodded.

"Then show me," he ordered. Senzen didn't know how this chamber would help them to heal Sheppard, but it would definitely buy them time. Perhaps there were more advance medical facilities in this city they had yet to find. Maybe once they'd learned how to use them, they could revive Sheppard.

Anka was dozing next to Sheppard on the bed when she was startled awake by Senzen, Dala, and a few minions bearing a litter burst through the door. "What's the meaning of this?" she demanded, incensed that they would disrespect a dying man so.

"Take him," Senzen ordered. "Carefully. Anka, please cooperate. We may have found a way to save him."

Anka scrambled off the bed as Sheppard was gently transferred onto the stretcher. "How?" she doubted. Noticing Dala, who had so often taken pleasure in Sheppard's misery, demanded indignantly, "And what's she doing here?"

Dala smirked, happy to finally show the old crone up. "I'm the one that figured out how to save him. As for how, well, you'll just have to come with us and see."

How Anka longed to wipe that arrogant smirk from her face.

Her ire rose as she saw that they intended to transport Sheppard naked through the halls. "He's had enough of that," she hissed, dragging the blanket off the bed and wrapping him in it gently. Senzen merely shrugged at the display, waiting somewhat patiently.

Dala proudly led the party through the halls, taking routes the Nultarans had yet to encounter in their settlements. Dala seemed a little disappointed that the hallways did not light up for her as they had in the dream. She hesitated in her route once or twice, confused by the darkness, but in the end, she followed the vision from her dream unerringly.

Senzen stopped to stare as they entered the room with the glass cases Dala had so poorly described. Dala confidently strode up the panel that had controlled the chamber in her dream and ran her hand across it. Nothing happened. Desperately she tried again.

"What's the hold up?" Senzen demanded.

"I don't understand," Now Dala seemed frantic. "It should light up. In my dream I ran my hand across it, and it lit up!"

Anka rolled her eyes and snorted in satisfaction. Patching up Sheppard's wounds: two jars of rare herbs. Taking care of the man day in and day out: ten jars worth of painkiller herbs for her arthritis. Seeing the little princess throwing a hissy fit because she couldn't save the day: priceless.

"You don't have the Ancestors' gene, you idiot! Of course it won't activate for you." Anka growled. They had dragged Sheppard here for nothing. No one but Sheppard could activate the room, and sadly, he would not be saving his own life today.

"Then make him do it!" Dala whined, pointing at Sheppard.

Anka snorted again, but Senzen looked dangerously pensive. "You," he pointed at the guard bearing Sheppard's upper right hand side. "Drag his hand across the panel." Looking at Anka, he shrugged. "It doesn't hurt to try."

The litter was navigated closer to the panel and the guard levered Sheppard's hand over the panel. Nothing happened. Dala started swearing.

Senzen was unperturbed. "Then there is no help for it. Anka, you must wake him up." Senzen stated calmly.

Anka balked. "And how do you expect me to do that? The man's in a coma!"

"Do not lie to me," Senzen snarled. "He is merely unconscious. Give him the strongest stimulant you have and wake him up. He need only be awake long enough to activate the chamber, then he can pass out again."

"That's barbaric!" Anka protested.

"It may save his life." Senzen argued.

Everyone stared at Anka, who in turn stared at Sheppard. The man was white as a ghost, and completely unresponsive to his environment. The wounds remained sealed beneath the Norrinu. His skin was turning slightly purple around the gel, Anka noted idly. He probably wouldn't even remember waking up, she realized.

"Alright." She fingered through her apron for one of the vials she's been carrying with her since she started taking care of this man. She had kept it in reserve for the day he finally had nothing left to give. She wished she could give him poison instead, and take him out of his misery. At least in stasis Senzen couldn't hurt him anymore.

x X x X x X x

He couldn't breath. His chest was on fire and there was a hole in his lung preventing him from circulating any air. He arched off the floor, trying to make it easier for his body to breath, but nothing seemed to help.

Black spots danced along the corners of his vision, but red was everywhere he looked. Red for the pain, or was he in a red room?

There was pressure on his shoulders, but it had nothing on the elephant sitting on his chest until his arm was pulled away from his body, pulling on his chest wound, making him scream.

Someone was talking to him. He couldn't understand the words, but they sounded, well, not nice, but familiar and safe. He tried to ask them to make it all go away, but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth.

Wasn't he supposed to be dead? What was happening?

Warmth flowed under the palm of his hand, but before he could figure out its source, his body was moving. He moaned as his arm was dropped back against his side. His whole body ached, but his chest felt ripped in half. It felt like a hand was squeezing his heart and tearing it apart. Even his worst break up hadn't felt this bad.

He became dizzy as his body dipped before settling on a harder, but sturdier surface. A hand ran across his cheek before it started to get very cold. He began to shiver, but it didn't last very long before the cold became so intense it burned.

He wanted to cry out again, but then the burning changed to soothing, and it became a gentle warmth like being snuggled up against his mother's chest. He felt safe and pain free as he drifted off to sleep.

_Shh, that's right. Go to sleep John. Sleep. _The beautiful lullaby was in his head again as he slept, and he had the feeling of being rocked gently. _ You'll never leave me now._

"Atlantis," John breathed.

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_----------------------_

_When the cold of winter comes,_

_Starless nights will cover day._

_In the veiling of the sun_

_We will walk in bitter rain._

_But in dreams,_

_I can hear your name._

_And in dreams_

_We will meet again._

_When the seas and mountains fall_

_And we come to end of days,_

_In the dark I hear a call,_

_Calling me there,_

_I will go there_

_And back again._

_----------------------_

In Dreams, by Enya in The Lord of the Rings

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_A/N: Okay, so sorry for the delay. But at least I gave you a nice long chapter to make up for it. Hopefully the next installment should be out faster._


	15. A Hero's Welcome

_Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate Atlantis… you know the drill._

_A/N: Yes master sherryw… your wish is my command._

**Chapter 15: A Hero's Welcome**

Kolya didn't understand why he had thought his world would look any different after being away for almost a year, but oddly enough, he had. But despite his morbid expectations, the same lush landscape and tall grasses greeted his arrival that had seen him off everytime before. Just to the right of the Gate still stood the giant weeping willow under which he had proposed to his wife so many years ago.

It was good to be home.

He began his long trek with a weary sigh, his many pains and bruises that he had done his best to ignore while escaping were aching again. Kolya held his broken left arm carefully against his chest. He truly looked forward to letting a real healer tend to it. The crap the Nultaran hag had spread on it burned like all the fires. He wondered if their 'healing' was designed to be torture in and of itself.

He sensed the eyes watching him from either side of the path long before he made it to town. They were an expected, and somewhat comforting presence. It was good to know his people had not let their guard down in his absence. He considered calling out to them, but knew Cowen would be waiting for him in the village, so he held his peace.

Damn it felt good to be breathing fresh air again.

A small crowd had gathered awaiting his arrival along the town's perimeter. Kolya saw them before they had the chance to see him. He hesitated for the briefly, momentarily afraid that they might stone him on sight. A year was a long time for a reputation to be left unguarded. Any disgruntled inferior officer could have slurred him into pariah-hood by now.

The crowd had broken into excited whispers upon his approach, and Kolya was relieved to see none of them held stones ready to lob. But he still did not understand their reason for gathering. Genii did not cluster out in the open when it could be avoided. It was bad for survival. Therefore, they wanted something.

Bracing himself, he allowed his facial muscles to automatically pinch into their familiar hard mask of authority, a habit of old that had saved his life many times over. He squared his shoulders, doing his best to project confidence.

He was a commander of the Genii military, and even when in disgrace, he was a man to be reckoned with. If his people were going to turn him out, they would regret it.

But the crowd remained nonviolent, just staring as if they'd seen a ghost. Kolya stopped in front of them, waiting for whatever was going to happen. "Well?" he demanded. He was so tempted to add, "What are you waiting for?" but that seemed unnecessarily reckless. Something Dr. McKay might have said—right before Kolya would strike him.

"It really is Kolya, back from the dead!" someone shouted.

The crowd needed no further prodding to launch into a full volume roar of applause and cheering. Hands reached out to slap him on the shoulder and across the back. Children ran between his legs and the women reached out to brush their hands across his arms, affirming that he was real.

_Back from the dead? _Kolya felt torn between confusion and the urge to laugh. They weren't going to stone him. He was still welcome among them. _They actually thought I was dead? Why? _He knew he'd been gone awhile, but Cowen had known his mission would be long term.

They weren't going to stone him.

Kolya gave in to the laughter, glad to be reunited with his people. For just a moment, he allowed himself to fall into the miasma of good feelings surrounding him, before mentally pulling back.

This was wrong. People were not supposed to be cheering for him. Once he reported his news to Cowen, then they should definitely celebrate, but what could they possibly be celebrating now? This was a hero's welcome, no longer fit for the likes of him. The last time he had returned, after losing the ZPM to Sheppard at Kagan, he'd been stoned almost to death. He'd secretly left while still in disgrace.

What had changed?

"Commander Kolya!"

Kolya turned towards the sound of the familiarity voice, and the crowd parted to reveal one Ladon Radim. "Ladon!" Kolya called his own greeting, and nearly stumbled in shock as the other man embraced him tightly.

"It is good to see you," Kolya told him as Ladon released him. He had to admit some surprise at Ladon's enthusiasm… they hadn't been _that_ close when Kolya left. He would have loved to address the topic, but business had to come first, and he had a lot of it. "Where is Chief Cowen? I must speak with him immediately."

A dark look passed over Ladon's face. "We need to talk, Acastus. I'm afraid things have changed quite a bit in your absence."

Based on his overwhelming reception, Kolya had a feeling that 'a bit' was an understatement.

He followed Ladon into the tavern, where after a warm nod to Fraenin, who was lazily tending the bar, they sat down at a comfortable table in the private backroom. Kolya sighed and allowed himself to recline into the chair. Fraenin delivered two mugs of steaming tea, and Kolya downed his with relish.

The heat felt so good to his warm throat. A year was a long time without any comforts of home, even to a soldier. Exhaustion pulled at him, but Kolya allowed himself to no more than hover over the edge. Nultara would still be there in the morning if it came to that, though he knew he should report to Cowen immediately. Was Ladon merely waiting for him to arrive?

"Where is Cowen?" Kolya finally made himself ask, forcing his eyes to remain open and alert.

Ladon had been astonished when the alert had been passed to him that Kolya had returned through the Stargate. He was baffled when the runner reported that Kolya appeared to be injured, though moving safely under his own power. Now, he couldn't help but stare at the weary figure before him.

"Cowen is dead." Ladon finally answered, watching Kolya's reaction carefully.

He was uncertain about how Kolya would respond to his coup. Would he condemn Ladon for attacking the Chief of the Genii military, or pat him on the back for removing an incompetent fool?

Hell, half the reason he had instigated his rebellion was because he had been convinced that Cowen had betrayed and murdered the Genii's most valuable leader. Cowen had used Kolya as a scapegoat for his own stupidity. The massacre at Atlantis could have been avoided if Cowen had played his cards right.

Ladon knew that Kolya had been unsatisfied with Cowen's leadership as well, also blaming him for starting the feud between the Genii and Atlantis. Given enough time, Kolya probably would have overthrown him personally.

"Dead? How?" Of all the changes Kolya had expected (and had not appeared) upon his return, this was not one of them.

Ladon told Kolya the details of his coup, proud to let this man of all men know about his successful atomic bomb, and ingenious planning. He only hoped that Kolya supported his rule, and would therefore not have to be removed from the picture, not after just getting him back.

Ladon may have loved Kolya, but he'd gone too far to throw it all away on one sentimental attachment. If he could sacrifice his sister, he could sacrifice Kolya.

Kolya's mind was running a hundred miles an hour, processing the situation from every angle possible, and not liking the results much. He knew that Ladon was a crafty s.o.b., but he honestly hadn't expected the level of ruthlessness the man had displayed. Ladon had always liked tricks and puzzles, but rarely employed them in the actual world. This was a new side of Ladon. One that if Kolya gave the wrong response to would make him a dead man yet again.

And therein lay his problem. Kolya was a military man, through and through. Ladon may have done the Genii a favor in ridding them of Cowen, but he was not the man to take his place. Ladon was prone to impulsive decisions that could easily backfire on him. Yes, left alone in a laboratory, Ladon could concoct plots so twisted and convoluted even Kolya couldn't follow them, and they would miraculously succeed. This coup was such an example.

But in the field where decisions were made from one heartbeat to the next, Ladon tended to think with his heart and not his head. Thus his sudden change of heart in sparing Sheppard and the other Atlanteans. Weir was a sucker; she would have saved Dahlia and the others anyway. Ladon's capitulation had instead placed the Genii in Atlantis' debt.

Unless Ladon had more tricks up his sleeve. He wouldn't have thought so before, but the man across the table was definitely much harder and sneaker than the boy he had trained.

_A bloodless coup my ass, _Kolya thought, trying to follow the politics of Ladon's actions.

It explained the overly affectionate public embrace and hero's welcome though. Ladon must have used Kolya and any other 'missing' leaders as examples of Cowen's guilt. Ladon must have pushed Kolya up onto a very high pedestal, making him almost a legend.

And a living legend poses much more of a threat than a dead one.

Chief Ladon. Kolya wasn't sure how well that one would work out. However, if anything could be said about Kolya, it was that he was a patient man. He would play along for now, and let Ladon prove himself.

Summoning an image of Cowen's face when he realized Ladon had betrayed him, Kolya forced himself to laugh. Ladon watched in relief as he saw Kolya's shoulders shaking, resting his forehead against his hand, elbow on the table.

Kolya raised his mug in Ladon's direction. "Well done."

Ladon semi-bowed in return, feeling the corners of his mouth quirk. "Your turn then. Tell me where you have been."

Kolya's laughter died down, and a pensiveness replaced it. "About a year ago, one of our trading partners, the Shrujans, alerted us that they had been regularly trading with a village that might be of an interest to us. Nultara. They normally traded food for herbs found only on this one planet, but this time, a Shruj noticed some strange, small devices located around the town that appeared to be quite advanced for such a rural people.

After poking around, the Shrujans discovered that it was Ancestor technology. They stole one such device and gave it to Chief Cowen. I imagine he rewarded them quite handsomely, though I was not there for any of this.

The Nultarans had had no known contact with Atlantis, and Cowen was determined to beat them to it. The only problem was Nultara is a mud hole. The entire planet is nothing but mud and more mud. Why anyone chose to settle there is beyond me. Well, after my failure at Atlantis, Cowen decided this was a perfect place for me to re-earn my honor."

Ladon snorted in sympathy.

"Cowen did not want word of Nultara reaching the Atlanteans, so the mission was kept secret. I led a team of four men to Nultara to see if they had any usable technology.

They had just been culled by the Wraith when we arrived, so they were all understandably jumpy. But they were desperate for the assistance we offered to rebuild, so they accepted us in the village and let us do our scouting. At first we were convinced all they had were a few knickknacks and trinkets, but my instincts told me to wait, so we persisted.

Eventually some of the locals began to trust us. Hazzan, who had been our guide, if you will, since we arrived finally introduced me to a man named Senzen. He was a little man, but with one of those unctuous auras-- the type you normally cringe away from. He led us to our treasure.

He took us to an underground city… one that rivals Atlantis."

Oh Ladon was certainly looking interested now. "Are you serious?"

Kolya nodded. "There were very few entrances to the city remaining. Most had been buried over time. Parts of the city have collapsed, but enough of it is livable. Miscus Padan, do you remember him?"

Ladon thought for a minute before shaking his head. "The name is familiar, but I can't place it."

"After Weir told me about the gene that Sheppard and some of the other Atlanteans had that allowed them to use the Ancient technology, Cowen started testing the Genii to see if any of us had this gene as well."

"I remember Kolya; I was there." Ladon almost snarled. Kolya wanted to laugh at him. "We never found anyone who had it though. What does this have to do with this Nultaran City?"

"You're wrong," Kolya corrected. "We did find one man with the gene. Miscus. Cowen sent him with me to Nultara, figuring we might need him. And we did. The Nultarans were eager to work with us to access the city. They did most of the heavy work—clearing passages and the like—while Miscus activated the city's control center.

The plan was to establish a permanent Genii base in this city. The Nultarans were more than happy to let us, so long as we allowed them to make pilgrimages to the city, and shelter there when the Wraith came."

"That sounds almost too good to be true." Ladon lamented. Something had obviously gone wrong.

"Of course it was. For some reason, I still have no idea why, the Wraith returned one day while we were in the city. Senzen and his men hurried to lead the Nultarans into the city, but the hallway they were using collapsed on the way. Like I said, the city wasn't exactly stable… we could have fixed it, but we ran out of time.

We were unable to dig Senzen and his men out in time. By the time we did free them and get to the surface, the culling was over. Senzen blamed us for what happened. He accused us of summoning the Wraith, so that we could have the city to ourselves, and wipe out the Nultarans forever."

"Paranoid bunch." Ladon commented.

"As it turns out, Senzen was the leader of a rather nefarious cult, previously ignored by mainstream Nultarans and labeled as violent zealots. Hazzan was their public front man, if you will. He sniffed out useful contacts and information and forwarded it to Senzen.

Most Nultarans never even knew about the city. But after that culling, there were few enough Nultarans left that Senzen's cult could come to power. Most of them had been in the city with us during the culling, so their numbers were untouched.

They tortured us for weeks after that attack. Two men they killed in the first few days, and the third died about a month later. Miscus received the worst of their treatment. At first they just beat him like any other torturer would. Then they called in this old boar of a woman, Anka.

She had all kinds of drugs and potions up her sleeve. Some boiled your blood and left you writhing in agony until you begged for death. She gave Miscus one that ate away his spirit and left him little more than a husk of himself. They would order him to do things, and he would just do them, no questions asked.

They had him activate all the technology they needed. Of course, they didn't actually know what any of it was, and they couldn't ask Miscus since he didn't really have a brain any more. So they would ask me in any imaginative way you can think of. Please, spare me of having to relay the details. Suffice to say it was painful.

I gave them tidbits of information, such as lights and breathable air. But whatever drugs they were feeding Miscus were poisoning him as well. He started going crazy. He would bounce back and forth from a drooling zombie to raving lunatic in seconds."

"What was he raving about?" Ladon asked.

Kolya shrugged. "Mostly he was just shouting, not really words per say. Sometimes he would say that they were making the city angry. He would say she wanted them to stop hurting him. He didn't seem to be able to say 'me' anymore. He always referred to himself in the third person. It was strange.

One day, Miscus just died. His body was wasted and his mind was gone. It wasn't all that surprising really. But the Nultarans were furious, even a little panicked. Everyone had to be relocated to the surface again, since the city returned to its dormant state with Miscus dead.

They continued to torture me, asking me who else could make the city work. Finally, one day I told them about Sheppard. I thought it would be a just punishment for the Massacre of Atlantis if he were to suffer the same fate as Miscus."

"Sheppard's dead then? I had heard though my contacts that he went missing." Ladon asked.

Kolya shook his head. There was a strange tightening of his stomach that he thought he recognized as guilt, which was just confusing. Surely he didn't feel remorse for setting up _Sheppard_, did he?

"Senzen made sure the Shruj made contact with the Atlanteans, the same as they did us. Naturally Sheppard and his team came sniffing around looking for their precious ZPM. Senzen wasted no time capturing Sheppard.

But he didn't handle him as he did Miscus. No, Senzen was much too smart not to learn from his mistakes. Rather than drugging Sheppard into activating things, Senzen decided to use him as a breeding machine. Senzen kept Sheppard drugged from day one, but all he had him activate was basic life support, which frankly would have happened anyway if he'd stayed in the city long.

Senzen planned just to wait out in the city until he could raise his own generation of Nultarans with the gene, then dispose of Sheppard. The city would continue to run as long as Sheppard was alive, which really only needed to be for nine months.

But there was a problem right before I escaped; one I did not expect, that's for sure. Sheppard showed them the weapon's chair that launches the drones capable of destroying Wraith ships."

"Why would he do that?" Ladon sounded confused.

"Perhaps they had given him a different drug that loosened his tongue a bit? I don't know. All I know, and this is from second hand sources, is that supposedly the Wraith came back _again_, and Sheppard destroyed them, even though we were safely hidden."

Kolya huffed in annoyance. "I would know his motives better if they had let me see him. We were kept separated the entire time."

"How did you escape?"

Kolya snorted. "Some idiot kid became disenchanted with Senzen's delusions and basically walked me out the back door. Well, back tunnel really. There's very little security. Like I said, their population is almost gone. There's maybe one, two hundred Nultarans left."

Both men sat silent, reflecting on Kolya's story.

"Why did Senzen keep you alive after he had Sheppard?" Ladon asked after a long pause.

"I don't know for sure," Kolya speculated. "I don't know if he would have kept me alive much longer. He was probably keeping me just in case something went wrong again."

Ladon smiled and leaned forward. "Maybe it's time something does."

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_A/N: Okay, so I wasn't sure exactly where I wanted to take this fic… hence the delay. But I know what I'm doing now, the game plan is thoroughly drawn out in my head, so my updates should once again be within a reasonable amount of time. Really. I hope. Eh, they should be anyway. Sorry for the lack of any actually Atlanteans in this chapter, but it should be the last one without them. Plus, everyone loves bad guys plotting, right? Or are they good guys this time? Even I'm getting confused._


	16. A Strategic Retreat

_Disclaimer: Not mine._

**Chapter 16: A Strategic Retreat**

"You did a noble thing by freeing him Tammer," Anka sighed. _And Foolish_, "But I wish you had told me sooner."

Kolya had been free for just shy of a day, and the deep bags under his eyes attested to the fact that Tammer had not slept since. Still, Anka wished the man would stop fidgeting.

"I had to do something." Tammer pouted, flinging his arms helplessly.

"Hmm," was all she responded, returning her attention to the woman sitting on the floor before her.

Ifsha sat huddled in the corner of the room, rocking back and forth, occasionally muttering to herself. Someone had wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, and Anka slipped it back into place where it had fallen to the side. Her red hair hung limp and oily around her face, framing glazed eyes turned so inward she was probably completely unaware of the people staring at her.

"Can you help her? You have to, please," Tammer whispered brokenly.

Tammer continued to plead, but Anka began to tune him out. Events were changing things drastically, and she needed to move quickly.

She caught herself about to sigh again and repressed it. Her hand rose to rub her crinkled forehead. She missed being young, though she was glad to be rid of the foolishness it brought. Nothing was ever as simple as it should be… especially with the Tau'ri involved.

Kolya was gone, but he would return and bring Genii soldiers back with him. She was surprised they weren't in the city already. She didn't believe for an instant the man would run to the Atlanteans. It would be a slaughter, and Kolya would certainly come after her personally after what she'd done to him.

The situation was getting more complicated than she was comfortable with. Things were spinning out of her control, and her plans were falling to pieces. It might be time to collect her winnings and leave while she was still ahead of the game.

The only question: should she take Sheppard with her?

Leaving him here was gambling that Kolya would have acquired a modicum of respect for Sheppard after sharing a traumatic experience. Or that Kolya's superiors would, at least.

But if she took him, Atlantis might hunt _her _down. She couldn't risk it.

She sized Tammer up as he continued to plead with her. He was young and relatively strong, if not much of a fighter. Still, he would have to do, for now at least.

"Tammer," she interrupted him. "We are going to have to leave this place before the Genii come."

"What? Why?" he sputtered. _Leave Sanctuary now that we've finally gotten here. Granted, Senzen's insane… but fleeing's not the way to go!_

Anka forced herself to be patient, but they were already on borrowed time. "We are leaving because you allowed an important member of the Genii military to leave after having a rather unpleasant experience here. He will return to take his revenge. We need to be gone before that happens."

"So he takes out Senzen… he'll be doing us a favor!" Tammer still did not understand the problem. "Ifsha is what we need to be focusing on now. And Mavah." Mavah, who had been placed under arrest in an unknown part of the city. Mavah, who was probably terrified and in need of friendly faces after her own near rape.

"I did what I could for Mavah, but you know as well as I do that Senzen controls the guards." Anka did her best not to tap her foot with impatience, but she'd been a prisoner far too often in the past to be anything but wary of it now.

"Do you really think Kolya will stop at Senzen?" she asked. "He came here in the first place for this city, and he will not leave without it. The Nultarans will just be in his way. We must go."

"Then we have to warn everyone." Was she trying to tell him that he'd done the wrong thing? That he should just let Senzen continue to torture, oh just about everybody?

"Warn who?" Anka countered. "Senzen? The guards? They'll kill you for what you've done. Your family? You don't have any left. There is only us, and we must go."

Tammer tried to process the fact that this might really be the end of the Nultaran dream. Hell, the end of Nultara. And it was all his fault. "What do I do?" he begged.

"Gather Ifsha and anything you can't bear to leave behind. I need to fetch some things from my room as well. As soon as you're done, meet me at the tunnel that leads to the Ring of the Ancestors. We shall flee from there." She instructed.

Tammer shook his head. "That won't work. Senzen will discover us on the censors and stop us."

"Do you really believe that?" Anka growled. "Has Senzen even realized that Kolya is missing yet?"

Tammer was confused. "Of course he has."

"Really?" Anka snorted. "Then why hasn't anyone said anything? Why is no one looking for him? I'll tell you why. The censors don't work. Senzen never had Sheppard activate them. After the disaster with the last Ancestor, Senzen didn't want to risk Sheppard's health by having him activate more than was absolutely necessary. Nothing in the Control Room is operational except life support.

It's a bluff, Tammer. A bluff to keep people like you in line."

Tammer was floored, but it made sense. He had heard rumors about another Ancestor who had come to Nultara before Sheppard, and died mysteriously. If Senzen could lie about something like that, what else had he lied about?

Shrugging away useless worries, Tammer forced his mind back to the task at hand. "What about Mavah?" he demanded,

Anka sighed, truly at the end of her rope. "I don't know where she is. This city is too big to search. If we remain to look for her, it will be too late. I'm sorry. With any luck, the Genii will spare the women and children, and she will be safe."

"That's not good enough."

_Always the hero, Tammer. That will be your downfall._

Seeing Anka remain unmoved, Tammer swallowed hard before saying, "Then I'm staying here to look for her. You take Ifsha with you now. Don't worry about her things; I'll bring them later. Just tell me where you are gating to, and I will meet you there with Mavah."

"If that is your wish." Anka took Ifsha by the arm, and the woman rose docilely with her. Anka gave Tammer the first address she could think of, and said her last goodbye.

x X x X x X x

_The waves were crashing rhythmically against the beach, and Sheppard found himself relaxing after a good surf. The warm sand felt good against his back, and he rested, just listening._

_He took a sip from his water bottle, reveling in the fact that he couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this good. There was no one here to bother him, and no responsibilities awaited his return. Life was good. Resetting the bottle, he reached for his book sitting on his towel. War and Peace. He'd finally get to finish it. He had all the time in the world—_

_To curse the stupid seagulls who dared to shit on his towel! And his book! Wiping the sticky crap off his hand, Sheppard cursed at the mess._

_Oh come off it! Was there no end to this! Just one afternoon at the beach with no problems, that's all he wanted. But no… if there're no people to bug him, Nature will just have to do it instead. Thanks for nothing._

_God he sounded like McKay._

_McKay? Who was that? Sheppard paused, feeling dizzy as his mind teetered over a suddenly looming black hole in front of him. McKay. It was a name that had no business on this beach._

_But it was a name that meant_ something_, and it was drawing him over the edge. His thoughts followed it and suddenly he was hit with a slew of sensations that had no place in his paradise._

_Pain. Fear. Dread. Pain. Humiliation. Duty. Pain. Helplessness._

_His heart rate picked up as he struggled to get air into his lungs. It wasn't working. People were screaming all around him, and suddenly the sand under his feet wasn't a texture of the beach, but the hot scorching earth of Afghanistan. The sand was blowing in his face, suffocating him. His chopper was crashing into the ground and someone was screaming at him. "Sheppard!"_

_Sheppard leaped back from the precipice, shaking his head as the feelings faded. He stood panting, trying to reconcile the contradicting realities. He wiggled his toes in the sand, focusing on the white-ish/yellow coloring free of blood, the moisture in the air, and the sunlight pouring into his eyes._

_His breathing calmed, and the pain faded into a distant memory, eventually slipping out of his grasp._

_What the heck was that? He wasn't sure if he should shake off the spell or recover it._

"_Mmm, leave that alone John."_

_Sheppard whirled as a beach ball hit him in the head. She was waiting for him in a skimpy red bikini, laughing at his confusion._

"_Come on. Are we going to play, or are you just going to stand there all day?" she laughed again. It was a beautiful laugh, and it reminded him of something. The chasm was opening again, but then her hands were on his arms and it was gone. His mind focused on the beach again. On her._

"_I can't play by myself, you know. Don't leave me for that awful place." She scooped up the ball again, and this time he caught it._

_Sheppard looked at the sphere in his hands, imagining it was blue, glowing with light and made of water. A portal… a gate. Shouldn't he be looking for a gate?_

"_Come on John!" she called again._

_Startled from his thoughts, the images faded, and Sheppard looked down at the innocent ball, now just red with white stripes. The serenity returned, and smiling, he bumped it back to her._

x X x X x X x

Using a bag much sturdier than her usual basket, Anka packed as many of the herbs she had spent the last few months gathering as she could. It was unfortunate that they could not grow on any other planet, but she'd do her best to remedy that if she could.

Ifsha sat on a stool, vaguely watching Anka pack. Anka considered leaving her, but for the moment she was not a hindrance. She definitely had future potential.

Anka was struck by her own flexibility given any situation. While living with the Nultarans, it had been so easy to care about them, especially knowing that she _needed _to be here. But now that she was free again, she felt her old dispassion returning. It felt like shedding a used up old skin.

Lastly Anka packed the samples she had gathered yesterday while keeping vigil over Sheppard. Blood, skin, sweat, hair, urine, semen… all were unfortunately overly available. Some might consider it immoral, taking advantage of Sheppard for these samples. But then again, she had saved his life.

All debts were paid.

Anka started a fire carefully over the burner of the grill in the kitchen area of her quarters. She filled a pot almost to the brim with water, and waited for it to boil. Once it had done so, she poured a large container of powdered white crystals, similar to sugar, and a container of a finer, yellow crystal. Stirring them carefully, she hastily departed when the mix started to steam.

Taking the catatonic woman by the arm once more, she hurried off towards the passage. They passed a few people along the way, and Anka took a position of seeming to comfort Ifsha, wrapping her arms around her and leaning her head on her shoulder, just two women out for a walk.

They were ignored until one armed man realized Anka was carrying a rather laden bag. "You there! Where do you think you are going, woman?" he sneered.

Oh, Anka was not going to miss the Nultarans' chauvinism one bit. Smiling without breaking her stride, she flicked her wrist, and the stunner strapped to her arm and hidden by her sleeve dropped the man where he stood.

"Time to hurry, dear." She mumbled to Ifsha.

Anka had to stun two more guards before they made it to the tunnel. The dark stone walls brought many unpleasant memories to the front of her mind, but she forced them down.

The air was cold in the passage, and she cursed herself for not taking a cloak. Really, she hadn't been young for that long; she should have remembered her elderly habits better. Her arthritic old bones certainly did not appreciate her forgetfulness. It was getting hard to hold the bag in her hands. She could feel her fingers giving in to the weight of gravity, and she halted before the bag could fall from her hands.

Huffing, she considered her silent companion carefully. Ifsha was catatonic, not comatose, and therefore not completely useless. Lifting the young woman's hand, Anka closed it around the handle of the bag. She brought Ifsha's other arm around to hug the bag to her chest. Smiling, Anka crooned, "That's right, you just hold that there."

Ah, her fingers thanked her for the reprieve.

Moving again was much easier this time. Ifsha offered no complaint and obediently followed Anka to the ladder. With a small hesitation, Anka guided Ifsha onto the ladder first, tapping each leg to remind her to lift it onto the next rung. Fortunately the ladder was widely constructed and very stable, for Ifsha would surely have fallen otherwise.

Ifsha stopped suddenly, and no amount of prodding from Anka would push her further. With a groan, Anka leaned around the other woman and realized they had reached the hatch. Tiredly Anka maneuvered herself around and between Ifsha's limbs so she could push the hatch open. With another prod, Ifsha climbed out, Anka right behind her.

Anka blinked and stared into the pre-dawn light. _I should be sleeping right now!_

It was a pleasant surprise to see the DHD actually was very close to the hatch, silently beckoning her. _Good riddance to all this mud,_ Anka thought grimly as she made her final trek through the pond that seemed to cover this whole world.

x X x X x X x

Sora had been both confused and annoyed when Kolya had suggested they wear gum boots instead of their regular military issue ones for this mission, but the moment she stepped foot on Nultara, she understood why. Instantly her boots sank into the mud, only stopping midcalf. Her foot was very heavy when she lifted it to take a step.

This was definitely not going to be her favorite planet.

Without hesitation she followed Kolya's figure toward the tree line, guarding him as he stooped to open the hatch conceal just within the trees.

"Someone else has been through here recently. Keep your eyes peeled, Sora." Kolya instructed. _Hmph, for a secret tunnel it certainly has a lot of traffic._

Once the hatch was open, Sora climbed down first, making sure the way was clear before her commander joined her. More Genii came down the hatch, fanning out, half expecting something to jump out of the shadows. After the debacle at Atlantis, Kolya was taking no chances, and had assembled the largest strike force in Genii history. Sora and her avant guard began treading down the tunnel, if only to make room for her fellow soldiers.

Stepping cautiously, Sora reached the junction where Kolya had warned her to turn left. She noticed the fresh tracks on the ground, but didn't see any sign of a threat. She turned left again at the second intersection.

Sora was proud of her people's stealth, for despite their numbers, she still could barely hear their treading. They had trained well in Kolya's absence and she was anxious to prove it.

The tunnel ended at a solid metal door, leading to the city. Sora raised her fist to signal the men behind her. The man nearest her positioned himself facing the doors opening, and with a nod, Sora pulled the door inward. He held his gun ready to fire, but he met no resistance. Nodding the all clear to Sora, she preceded him into the city.

The halls were dark and empty.

Kolya frowned and stepped up next to Sora. "The lights should be on. Something must have happened to Sheppard." After all this, was the man finally dead? He was not feeling disappointment. He wasn't.

Flashlights were turned on, and Sora continued to lead the troop down the hall. At a signal from Kolya, they split up, seeking out any inhabitants. Their orders were to subdue them all by any means necessary, though preferably without lethal force.

The silence was beginning to unnerve Sora. _This is a ghost city. Kolya said it was occupied… granted not be a huge population, but more than this. Where is everybody?_

She found her missing population in the next room she entered. It looked like a dining hall, with food sitting around in all corners, still steaming. It was filled with people.

And they were all dead.

She approached the nearest body, collapsed against a table. Turning him over she checked for a pulse and confirmed her diagnosis. Looking for wounds or something to explain his death, she came up empty. She checked other bodies with the same results.

This was not good.

"Commander Kolya," she hissed into her radio, "We have a problem. I just found a whole room full of people. They're all dead and not a mark on them."

"Yes Sora, we are finding the same thing everywhere."

Kolya was occupied with studying his own corpse. She was young, and very pretty with thick black hair in tight curls. A younger version of his wife. She was too young to die.

"Fall back." Kolya ordered.

With a nod no one could see, Sora did just that. Taking one last look around the cafeteria, she prayed whatever gas or poison had killed these people was gone.

Kolya turned to leave, but one more body caught his attention. His arm was stretched out, obviously trying to reach the girl in the corner. Shaking his head sadly, Kolya offered the man a respectful salute before leaving.

_Goodbye Tammer._

----------------------------

_A/N: See, a fast(er) update, as promised._


	17. Route 666

Disclaimer: The usual litany of 'not mine's. 

**Chapter 17: Route 666**

Elizabeth's version of 'wait a couple of days' before returning to the planet had actually turned into 'wait a week' before sending teams that actually did anything useful. Her decision had sat wrong with a lot of people, and many were starting to lose hope. If Dr. Weir didn't believe Colonel Sheppard, then why should anyone else? Granted, she had allowed Major Lorne to resume his daily checks of the planet after three days of waiting the Wraith out, but that hardly made up for the beating morale took during that time. For that, Rodney wasn't sure he could forgive her.

Sheppard would have been the last person to abandon her. Or any of them. He deserved more than this.

Lorne reported after his second reconnaissance mission that the hive-ship had somehow been destroyed. Debris was everywhere, but there were no obvious signs of whatever or whoever had taken them down. McKay liked to think it was Sheppard's doing somehow. It was something crazy that he would do.

But did that mean Sheppard had died in the fight?

Rodney was finally allowed to return with Lorne to investigate the ship. Wraith bodies were everywhere. Their sickly green skin was covered in mud and blood, making them look not so green anymore. More disturbing were the human bodies strewn about, equally messy. Lorne had assigned a detail to go through the corpses to look for Sheppard.

Rodney carefully picked his way through the metaphorical graveyard and nearly threw up when his foot connected with a body that had sunken deeply into the mud. The inertia caused the body to roll over slightly, and McKay surrendered to the vomit when part of the face of a little girl was revealed.

He felt strong hands grab his shoulders, one of them rubbing his lower back in slow circles as he sicked. Every time he thought he was done, he saw another body in the corner of his eye, and another round would start. Teyla was speaking to him, but it was hard to hear her over the ringing in his ears.

At some point while he was gasping for air he realized she was propelling him forward, forcing his legs to step quicker and less deliberately than he would have liked. Pressure on his shoulders made his knees give way, and then he was sitting on an unyielding surface with something pressed against his face.

"Just breath, Dr. McKay," someone was saying.

Shit, his head was pounding. His eyes had closed at some point, and once the dizziness abated he forced them open with some effort. He was in a jumper. A corpsman was squatting in front of him holding an oxygen mask against his face, forcing tangy air into his lungs.

Oh, how embarrassing. He'd had a panic attack at the sight of a couple bodies. A panic attack! Oh, Sheppard was never going to let him live this down. He felt heat suffuse his face, and knew he was blushing. Why was he sitting in here when the work to be done was out there?

The corpsman was starting to look concerned, and Rodney knew he had to act fast.

"What do you think you're doing?" He shoved the oxygen mask away. "You should be out there looking for Sheppard. Where is my pack? If any of those barely trained apes dropped it in the mud they will be very sorry. Do you know how important my computer is? I'll have you know there is some very important research on there that I'm sure your miniscule brain couldn't even begin to comprehend. Do you know what miniscule even means?"

The whole time he was shouting he was heading out of the jumper, scowling at the corpsman who technically had the authority to make him wait in the jumper until someone took him back to Atlantis. A pre-emptive strike was the only way to go with these military brutes. As if they could solve this without him.

He just had to keep a solid stomach.

Right, he could do it. Nerves of steel, all the way.

Teyla met up with him a mere few feet from the jumper. "Are you feeling better, Rodney?" she asked, eying the corpsman watching them from just inside the jumper.

"I'm fine. But that smell? Forget about it. Really, this whole planet should be labeled a biohazard. I have to admit, I had no idea mud could smell this bad. On a bright note, at least nothing can grow in it. No deadly citrus today. Now if you'll excuse me, I have very important work to do." With that, he marched away from Teyla, heading towards the largest piece of Wraith wreckage left.

Teyla rolled her eyes at McKay's attempt to disguise his discomfort with the carnage. The one time McKay was justified in his less-than-macho moments, he tried to hide it. Even she was anxious around so much death. The humans aboard the hive had never stood a chance.

An hour later, Sheppard's body still had not been found, and no one was sure if that was a good thing or not. There was still a chance that he was alive, but at this point, a little confirmation would have gone a long way. Hope might be a powerful motivator, but it was also a painful one.

"I can offer some concrete facts, at least," McKay offered. "This ship was destroyed by drones, the same as those Atlantis fires. Either some Ancient ship passed this way, or there's another city or outpost somewhere on this planet."

"Are you sure McKay?" Lorne asked. "I think we would have seen a city by now if one were here."

McKay's fingers were snapping, and a spark of life returned to his eyes. "Not if we're looking in the wrong place."

x X x X x X x

"I see you weren't kidding about the mud," Ladon grumbled, watching his feet sink instantly into the pliant ground.

"If only I were," Kolya agreed.

After withdrawing from the tomb of a city, Kolya had returned to the Stargate and dialed the Genii home world. He reported his disturbing findings to Ladon, who immediately took action. Refusing to be spooked, Ladon had quickly assembled his best scientists and doctors, and joined Kolya on Nultara.

Ladon surveyed the various military personal idling around the muddy field. They all seemed alive enough. "Has anyone shown any symptoms of poisoning?"

"No," Kolya answered with relief. He knew that if he had been responsible for the untimely deaths of any more Genii, his days were over.

"Well then, show me this hatch." Ladon felt anxious to get this operation underway. The more time spent dawdling, the greater the chance that something would go wrong. Paranoia was knocking on his brain, making him nervous. The nagging feeling that someone was watching them refused to let up, but every time he looked over his shoulder he found nothing threatening.

Kolya watched Ladon's nervous twitching, and wondered what was bothering the man. Ladon had too strong a stomach to be worried about whatever was below, but something on the surface had his hackles raised.

It was eerie and troubling being on a planet without birds, Kolya decided. They were notorious for giving away approaching danger. It was unnatural for a world to be so quiet and deserted.

Five feet from the hatch the mud grudgingly gave way to a few tuffs of grass, and eventually to thicker clumps that grew over the hatch, concealing it. Even after using it so many times in the last few days the hatch was invisible unless you knew where to look for it.

"Freeze where you are!"

Ignoring the order, Kolya instinctively whirled around, reaching for his sidearm at the same time. A flash of pain and suddenly his arm was burning. A small amount of red mixed with his uniform. It was only a light graze, mostly to gain his attention, but Kolya felt like he'd been shot in the stomach. Had he really been out of the loop for so long that he hadn't even seen or heard the group sneaking up on them?

Maybe it was time to retire.

Something about that thought struck him as funny, and he couldn't prevent the small chuckle that escaped his lips when he recognized the Atlantean uniforms, if not the face of the leader. Ladon's face remained stone, fixed on the enemy, but his eyes flashed briefly towards him, almost asking if he'd gone mad. Maybe he had.

Shouts of fear and maybe a little awe from his men made Kolya look up at the puddle jumpers hovering above them. _Great._

"Put your weapons on the ground," one of the Lanteans ordered them.

Kolya studied his troops, assessing their combat readiness. With disgust he realized his men had been caught essentially with their pants down. Apparently he would not be putting in for early retirement. Whoever had trained these troops was obviously very lax in their discipline. _Useless._

No one moved to obey the Atlanteans. _ Had whoever taken over training decided to replace alertness with stupidity? _Both Genii leaders knew that the situation could still be saved as long as no one did anything rash.

"Lay them down." Ladon commanded, trying to prevent the bloodshed.

To his dismay, he saw the men nearest to his group hesitate at his order, looking instead to Kolya _(Kolya!_) for assurance. At Kolya's nod, they followed his orders.

_That is definitely something we're going to have to see to later, _Ladon decided.

"Major Lorne," the soldier radioed, "We have Ladon and Commander Kolya. I think you should come down here."

"I'm on my way." Came the disembodied voice.

Kolya smirked. Even after a year without seeing hide or hair from him, the Atlanteans still addressed him by his rank. That was the way to handle war. Ladon was nothing more than a pet that might bite its master than a threat in the Lanteans' minds. Just show Ladon the stick and he would cower. It was somehow quite satisfying to know the soldier's attention was clearly on Kolya, and not Ladon, regardless of his battered frame.

Kolya stared at the young soldier holding him at gunpoint, sizing him up, before glaring at him in a way that promised retribution. The soldier tried to stare him down, but even with the comfort of the exquisite weapon he was pointing, eventually he let his gaze flee to Ladon, swallowing slightly. Kolya smiled to himself. No, maybe retirement now was being just a little too hasty.

One of the puddle jumpers descended and landed in the open field. The soldiers who had surrounded the Genii leaders marched them towards it, just in time to see Dr. McKay, Teyla, and Ronon exit. Major Lorne followed a moment later.

The four walked towards Kolya and Ladon, but Ronon's menacing gait was significantly faster and before any one had time to so much as blink, Ronon's powerful fist connected squarely with Kolya's nose. "Where is he?" the big man snarled before raising his fist again.

x X x X x X x

It had taken McKay and Zelenka less than an hour to recalibrate two jumper's censors to scan for life signs underground. McKay had returned to Nultara in one of the jumpers while Radek stayed in Atlantis recalibrating other jumpers to send. With a new sense of hope, the two teams began sweeping the planet again, looking for the hidden city.

Twenty-four hours and six jumpers later, they still hadn't found anything.

McKay returned, defeated, to Atlantis. Out of habit more than anything else, he badgered Elizabeth into letting him go again the next day. Unable to bear the haunted look in his eyes, she'd agreed. Then she'd quietly slipped off into an empty hallway and cried. Not huge, gasping sobs, just a quiet trickle down her cheeks. She returned to the Gate Room five minutes later to see the jumpers off, and no one was the wiser.

Again, McKay found nothing, until Lorne piloted the jumper back to the gate. One minute, the censors were empty. The next, they shot up with life.

Underground. He was such a genius.

"What was that?" he asked, suddenly alerted to another reading measured by the censors.

"Someone just activated the Stargate." Lorne answered. "The wormhole's already shut down. Only a couple people could have gotten through."

Suddenly all the little dots indicating life signs started disappearing. "What!" McKay shouted, double-checking that the censors were still functioning properly.

"Should they be disappearing like that?" Ronon asked.

"No." McKay's whole posture slumped. "Whoever was down there is now dead."

"But someone escaped through the gate. Perhaps it was the Colonel." Teyla suggested.

Lorne radioed their findings to Atlantis. To the disappointment of all, Sheppard had not miraculously appeared on the other side of the gate.

Two of the jumpers landed to allow ground teams to look for an entrance to the underground facility. McKay continued to study the readings in the jumper, trying to find some way to gain entrance. They had to get down there and investigate. He had to know for sure.

Two hours after the wormhole had mysteriously opened and closed, it opened again. Surprised, the team watched as people began marching out of the gate, dressed for combat. Without conscious thought, Lorne willed the jumper's cloak active, and he noted with approval the other five jumpers had done the same.

McKay watched fascinated as the people kept coming. There had to be at least a hundred! He looked for Sheppard, just in case, but he was absent. However, another face caught his breath.

Acastus Kolya. The Genii were back in town.

"Do you think the Genii are involved in Colonel Sheppard's disappearance?" Teyla wondered aloud.

"Well, they're here, aren't they?" McKay sniped.

The Lanteans watched as the Genii advanced straight for a particular spot in the tree line and disappeared. The LSD was bright with little dots again, and they watched as the Genii spread out underground.

"Well, they definitely know the terrain better than we do," Lorne grumbled.

"Shouldn't we be doing something?" McKay demanded.

"Sometimes the best way to find your prey is to watch the other predators," Teyla said, carefully watching the image projected on the HUD.

Not long after the last of the Genii entered the complex, they came back up again. McKay briefly had the image of the planet regurgitating the Genii. He was indeed a sick man.

The Genii certainly seemed to be in a hurry this time. The Lanteans spotted Kolya again, following his movements as he returned to the Stargate and dialed. They watched as Kolya appeared to be radioing through the gate, and they watched as it closed soon after. Twenty minutes later, it opened again, and more Genii came through. Ladon Radim was with them this time.

"Geesh, for a mud infested, useless, backwater planet, this gate certainly seems to get a lot of use," McKay remarked.

"I've had enough of this," Lorne announced as Ladon, Kolya, and a few others broke away from the main group towards the tree line again. "Ground teams, secure Kolya and Ladon. Jumpers, circle around the rest of the Genii, and prepare to disengage cloaks on my mark."

It wasn't long before they had the Genii cowering, and Sgt. Macks signaling Lorne to land. The moment the jumper was on the ground, Ronon had the hatch open and was racing towards the Genii. The rest of his team followed closely behind him, with Lorne trailing, having to get the jumper settled and locked down first.

Before anyone could react otherwise, Ronon had Kolya down and was ready to lay waste to Atlantis's enemy. "Where is he?" he snarled.

"Hang on a minute Ronon," Major Lorne ordered. It wasn't a very heartfelt order, so Ronon contented himself for the moment by merely holding Kolya's collar and pressing him into the ground.

Kolya was trying to blink around the stars in his eyes, cupping his broken nose. _Just one more injury to add to the list_, he thought bitterly. More importantly, he was now covered in mud literally from head to toe. Thoughts of retirement returned.

"We do not have Colonel Sheppard," Ladon finally answered, trying a little to spare Kolya from further injury. Any quarrels he had with the man could wait while they were in public.

"No, you just happen to conveniently be at the same place where he was taken with your suspiciously large army. You're just going for a stroll in the park full of mud. Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" McKay rolled his eyes. "And oh yeah, you just happen to know where the secret entrance to all this planet's little secrets just happen to be!"

"What are you doing here?" Lorne asked a bit more succinctly.

Ladon sighed as he explained. "In case it has escaped your notice, Commander Kolya has also suffered as of late. He has been a prisoner on this planet for several months. We are here for the same reason as you, I believe… to exact our revenge."

"Hey, that's right. Aren't you supposed to be dead?" McKay insisted. The thought has occurred to him in the jumper, but he knew the question would annoy Kolya.

Ronon studied his prisoner more carefully, noting the sunken eyes, the face gone gaunt with starvation, and splinted arm. The swelling, bleeding nose was a nice addition though, in his opinion. Kolya bore the attention silently, growing tired of being held pinned.

"Who is it that you're claiming is responsible for this?" Teyla demanded, not quite ready to believe their story.

"The Nultarans." Ladon answered simply.

"And where are they? We searched this planet for weeks looking for them." Ronon gave Kolya a little shake, as if that would produce answers. McKay had commented earlier that Ronon plus stress levels plus extended periods of time equaled serious pain for someone. Rodney was just glad that person happened to be a frequent enemy of Atlantis, and not one of his teammates. Or more specifically, himself.

"They're still around," Ladon said enigmatically. "Or their bodies are anyway. We discovered the whole group of them dead. We were just about to begin investigating why. If you would like to assist us, you're more than welcome to, but we are not leaving."

"Oh yeah?" Ronon challenged.

x X x X x X x

"Atlantis, this is Lorne. Come in."

"I hear you Major," Dr. Weir answered.

"Ma'am the Genii claim that Commander Kolya was a victim of the Nultarans as well, and are here for revenge basically. They're proposing an alliance while we have a common goal."

Weir looked at the blue puddle below her as if she could see the men at the other end. "Finding Colonel Sheppard hardly seems like a common goal. Can you confirm their story?"

"Negative. Commander Kolya does show some signs of rough treatment, but for all we know anyone could have done that to him. According to Ladon, all the Nultarans are dead and they don't know why. The LSD confirms that a lot of people died right before the Genii arrived, but that's all we know for sure. They're willing to let us work alongside them determining the cause, but they're determined to see this thing through."

Elizabeth tried to read the tone of Lorne's voice to get a better idea of what was happening, but as always, the man coasted on neutral. He'd make a hell of a diplomat, but it was not helpful from a chief military commander and her advisor. She would have known everything about how John felt about a situation just from how he said 'hi.'

There was no help for it. She'd just have to take care of this herself.

"Is the location secure, Major?" she asked.

"Affirmative Ma'am."

"Give me ten minutes, and I'll be joining you Major. Atlantis out."

------------------------------

_A/N: Every chapter, I swear that this is the one where Sheppard gets rescued. I thought for sure it would be this one, and yet… he's still not in Atlantis. Welp, I'm almost positive next chapter's the one. Maybe if I don't swear this time, it'll happen…. Sorry once more for the delay in updating. Thank you to everyone who reviewed._


	18. The Other Storm

_Disclaimer: Not mine. I probably don't need to put these in every chapter, but hey… why not? No one reads them anyway._

**Chapter 18: The Other Storm**

It was hard to determine who was who under the hazmat suits, but there were a few who were always recognizable. Ronon was significantly taller than everyone else, including any of the Genii. And Rodney… well Rodney always had ways of making himself known, the wild gesturing and constant complaining being the foremost. They were also the two that stuck closest together, much to the runner's annoyance. With a little effort, Ronon swallowed his usual threats when the scientist irked him, knowing that McKay was craving the security of his bulk while working alongside the man who had once tortured him briefly.

Kolya was in his own hazmat suit not ten feet away from the pair, very armed and very alert. Ronon considered ensuring an accident might happen in Kolya's general vicinity, but Teyla was one step ahead of her teammate and sent him a warning stare. _Don't,_ it said.

Diplomacy was not, shall we say, Ronon's forte.

McKay alternately glanced between his scanner and Kolya, deliberately ignoring the bodies on the floor. The three marines and two other Genii that made up their group were pushing the bodies to the side of the hall before anyone could trip on them, taking a head count as they did so.

McKay never thought he'd be so grateful for dark hallways. Normally they made him feel claustrophobic and unnerved, but at this point, anything was better than seeing more death. Everyone looked like they'd just lie down and gone to sleep. No blood, no skin discoloration, nothing that screamed 'Hey, death was here!'

The worst was the eyes. Most people had died with their eyes open. Were they open even wider than normal? Everywhere they went it looked like people were just lying on the floor, watching them. It was like some demented haunted house that someone took too far.

Beckett was somewhere in this mausoleum, examining the bodies, looking for a cause of death. Rodney did not envy him his job. Although, Beckett might just use it as an opportunity to restock his voodoo supplies.

His particular team was headed towards the Control Room. Elizabeth and Ladon were on another team with Cadman and Lorne, also heading to the Control Room via an alternate route. If he had to take a bet, Rodney would double down that his team was walking through the most populated part of the city. There was no way the other teams could have possibly stepped over more bodies than his.

Teyla watched Rodney do his best to hold himself together. Theoretical death McKay could handle, but he was not a warrior, nor had he lived in fear of the Wraith his whole life. She surreptitiously laid her hand on his quivering arm, trying not to let the Genii see. After a moment Rodney calmed and shrugged her off, refusing to acknowledge the comfort.

Finally, they were in the hallway just outside the Control Room. Taking a deep breath, Rodney fiddled with the control crystals next to the door, making it open. They had apparently beaten the other team there. As soon as McKay stepped across the threshold, all the lights came on and power registered on his censor again.

x X x X x X x

_"They're here! More have come," she gasped, dropping her beer._

_John looked at her confused. She was staring at the sky as in wonder as if it held the answers to the universe and was displaying them for a limited time only. He looked up to see what the fuss was about, but all he saw was the sun and cumulous clouds. It was great gliding weather. Too bad he had nothing to fly with._

_There was a nice surf going on though…._

_She started to run down the beach, away from their little picnic. Her red bikini emphasized the swish of her hips as she ran, but rather than sending a seductive message like before, it seemed to emphasize her departure this time._

_"Hey, where're you going?" he called after her._

_"They're here, John!" she called over her shoulder. She was laughing the type of joyous laughter that had always been reserved for him. But she was running away from him. He ran after her, feeling the give of the sand beneath him slowing him down. She seemed to be running on top of the sand, running faster than he would have thought possible._

_Surrendering to the inevitable, he stopped running, watching her disappear. He wanted to call after her, but his brain was frozen. The beach became dead silent except for the waves hitting the shore and drawing back out again. Bewildered, he stared at the ocean, which now seemed turbulent and unfriendly. The sky darkened, and he felt the first drops of rain hit his shoulders. He heard the nearby rumble of thunder behind him._

_Lightning streaked over the ocean in thin, frequent strips, capturing his attention. Gale force winds started pushing his body every which way, and he became lost, alone in the storm._

x X x X x X x

"Dr. McKay," Dr. Weir called as she led her team into the Control Room. "Report."

"I've got main power up and running, now I'm going through the city's censor logs of the last day to try and figure out what the heck happened," he answered without looking up from the consol he was sitting at.

Ladon and Kolya were walking around the room, running their hands over everything, as if trying to memorize it. It was creeping Rodney out, and he was doing his best not to pay attention. Unfortunately, a side effect of being a genius was that he was able to focus on more than one thing at a time… including them.

"Any progress?" Weir asked.

"Look," McKay sneered, "I may be brilliant, but I can't just automatically know things before I've even gone through the logs. I've only covered an hour's worth of data."

Weir nodded. "Well, keep at it."

"Elizabeth," Carson's brogue sounded in their ears.

"Go ahead Carson," she directed.

"I've finished my autopsy on the first of the Nultarans," he reported. "As near as I can tell, the cause of death was a fast acting poison, the likes of which I've never seen. Based on the fact that everyone present seems to have just dropped dead in the middle of what they were doing, I'm betting it was airborne. Have Rodney check the air filters. It may still be present, it may have gone, or there may still be traces left. Chances are though, that since none of the Genii have fallen ill, then it's been disbursed."

"Rodney…?" Weir asked.

"I'm checking," he grumbled. "The air is registering as one hundred percent clear. It was slightly polluted when we first got here, but the city's recycling systems took care of it."

"Did the logs record the nature of the pollutant, Rodney?" Beckett asked.

"Mmhmm." Rodney answered, distracted. Why was Kolya getting closer to him?

"I didn't catch that. Say again?" Beckett called.

Kolya smirked at Rodney's obvious nervousness before returning to the other side of the room. Games were fun, but not when they interfered with work.

"Yes, I said yes," Rodney huffed. "I'm downloading them now."

"Carson, does this mean we can go without the hazmat suits now?" Weir asked.

The crinkle of noise in the background indicated that Carson was doing exactly that. "Aye, I think we'd have noticed Genii dying by now if anything lethal was still in the air."

"Haha," Rodney chuckled, "Looks like you people are useful for something other than evil after all."

Kolya removed his helmet before sauntering up to McKay again. The physicist shrank back, cringing. Kolya smirked, but a forceful shove from Ronon had him retreating to his side of the room again. Satisfied with unsettling McKay, Kolya didn't raise a fuss.

Weir eyed their antics carefully. Kolya was only provoking Rodney when the scientist was babbling, not when he was working. The easiest way to handle this was to keep Rodney from being distracted. "Can you at least narrow down the timeframe? How long before the poison was released and when people started dying?"

McKay's eyes left Kolya to roll at Elizabeth. "Why thank you, why hadn't I thought of that. Hmm. Well let's see. Carson said it was a fast acting poison, and we saw all the dots go out on the LSD in the jumper at about 1600, so…."

McKay did his typing thing, making lots of 'hmm' and 'ughh' noises, no doubt making the job look harder than it was. Then the inevitable snapping. "Here. Something was released from these rooms into the air vents. Camera footage from the room itself…. Look at that! Did you see that?" he asked Weir.

"What was that?" she asked. It looked like a small powered explosion, but she couldn't see the source.

McKay laughed. "Someone exploded something out of a cooking pot. The flames must have heated whatever was in the pot, making it explode, and releasing the contents into the vents. The force of the explosion would have sent it hurtling, thus explaining how it hit everywhere so quickly."

"Major Lorne, send a team to investigate that area," Weir ordered. Lorne nodded and left.

"Can you tell what was in the pot?" Ladon wandered over and asked.

"No, scrying belongs to the art of voodoo, not actual science," he huffed. "That's Beckett's department. Hopefully Lorne can find some traces of whatever chemical it was."

He pressed a few more buttons, replaying the scene. He rewound the video to ten minutes before the explosion, and caught a picture of two women leaving the room. Rewinding a little further, he watched an old woman mixing the contents of two containers into the pot.

"I do however have a visual on out culprit." Squinting, he studied the picture more carefully. Something was tickling the back of his very important brain. "Does she look familiar to you?"

Weir studied the image before shaking her head no.

"Huh," McKay responded, still staring. It was like looking at the picture of someone you graduated elementary school with and never saw again. Familiar, yet totally forgotten….

"What about Colonel Sheppard?" Weir asked, getting back to the point of this operation. "No one has reported finding his body. Is there any chance that he's still alive?"

McKay let out a long sigh before covering his face with his hand. Weir waited for an answer, but none seemed forthcoming.

"We saw the Stargate activate moments before everyone started dying. Is it not possible that he escaped before this all began?" Teyla offered, trying to keep the hope alive.

"Where would he have gone? He didn't arrive in Atlantis, we checked the Alpha Site…. Could he have gone to another friendly world?" Weir speculated. "Why would he have done that instead of coming home?"

"Someone could have taken him," Ronon supplied.

"Yeah, too bad all likely parties are present and accounted for," McKay grumbled.

"Dr. McKay, I assure you…" Kolya began.

"Gentlemen!" Weir interrupted. "This is not the time."

"Dr. Weir?"

"Yes, Radek, come in," Elizabeth tapped her radio.

"I think you should come and see this. Bring Rodney and Dr. Beckett as well."

x X x X x X x

"When the city powered up, only certain systems were supposed to automatically activate. I detected one rogue power source, and I tracked it down to this room," Radek explained. The man was smiling, a rare expression for him, which hopefully meant the best of news.

"What is it, Radek?" Dr. Weir asked, breathless in anticipation. What could be so exciting about some random piece of technology using power? She didn't care if he'd stumbled across a whole cache of ZPMs at this point.

Rather than explaining, Radek went into the room, knowing the others would follow.

McKay felt a fist clench his heart when he realized where they were. It was one of the stasis chambers, like the one where they'd found the 10,000-year-old Elizabeth. Suspecting where Zelenka was going with this, Rodney dashed ahead of the others across the room to the only lit chamber.

Sheppard.

He wanted to collapse to the floor in relief. Sheppard. "He's alive! Come on, we have to get him out of there."

"Just a moment Rodney," Beckett cautioned. "He's probably in there for a reason."

Rodney looked at Beckett like he'd grown another head. "Of course he is – to escape the poison."

"Well, let me look to make sure," Beckett examined what he could of the Colonel through the glass and the blanket covering him.

His friend was very pale, and his features were drawn. He'd obviously suffered at least mild starvation. Deep bags hung under his eyes despite the fact that he was 'sleeping' and his face seemed frozen in a frown. Anything else was obscured by the blanket.

Beckett sighed. "I can't see a bloody thing with that blanket there. Alright, we'll have to do this the hard way." He tapped his radio and called two of his staff to deliver just about any piece of paramedic equipment he could think of.

"Is that really necessary?" McKay asked.

"At this point Rodney, I have no idea," Beckett did his best to bite back the impatience he felt every time McKay questioned his practice. "He could be perfectly fine for all I know… despite the fact that he's been a prisoner here for almost two months. But I'd rather be safe than sorry. Wouldn't you?"

The medical team arrived with Beckett's requested mini-infirmary, and everyone backed up to give them some room. Rodney made sure to position himself so he could see Sheppard's face the instant he woke up. His whole body was rigid with pent up nervousness. Sheppard was right there in front of him. He'd be back where he belonged soon enough.

Beckett waved his magic-gene hand over the console, and the shield around Sheppard vanished. Everyone held their breath. "Colonel Sheppard? It's Dr. Beckett, lad. Can you hear me?"

Sheppard remained still for a moment before his body started twitching. His throat worked, trying to swallow, and his head fell ever so slightly to the side. Beckett reached towards his neck, trying to measure his pulse. "Pulse is weak," he announced. "Colonel?" he tried again.

Sheppard started gasping, twitching with a bit more force.

Beckett quickly lowered the blanket to assess any injuries that may be causing Sheppard's difficulty. There were scratches and bruises covering his chest, and his ribs were quite visible, but otherwise he was surprisingly unharmed. There was a purple substance smeared onto his chest, right over the heart and left lung that Beckett couldn't identify. The skin around it was turning purple as well.

Beckett fingered it carefully and was surprised that it felt exactly like skin. Sheppard jerked under the slight pressure, his gasping turning into harsh wheezes. One of the medics held a bag over his mouth and nose, forcing air down his throat.

Suddenly Sheppard's eyes flew open. He sucked in a big gulp of air, and screamed.

x X x X x X x

_The wind pushed him left and right, rocking his body so hard his feet stumbled across the sand and he fell to his knees. The wind continued to press against his back and side, and his arms quivered with the effort of keeping his face out of the sand. He pushed himself up and stumbled into a half-bent, but standing, position. The wind continued to buffet him every which way._

_The ocean was responding to the wind, adding its own splashes to the rain. The waves climbed the beach, submerging the beer cooler and rocking the volleyball net. The water came up to his ankles, freezing them to the bone._

_His arms wrapped around his chest, head down, he tried to shelter his body the best he could. The temperature had dropped significantly, and he was shaking. His long hair was pressed flat against his head, inviting the water into his eyes._

_The water retreated into the ocean again, pulling him along with it. He fought it, looking for higher ground. The more he moved up the beach, the harder the wind pushed him. When the next wave crashed on the beach, he became soaked up to his knees. The force of the retreating water managed to pull him backwards this time, but he broke free before it could pull him into the ocean completely._

_But as soon as that wave let up, another one crashed into his back, knocking him over. He fell face first into the freezing water, breathing in the salty water. He coughed and sputtered, trying to get back to the surface. The waves had him caught, and before he could get to the top, he was sucked under again. _Rip tide_ came to mind._

_He tried to fight the pull, but his struggles were leading him nowhere. There was no light to see the water with, and he felt like he was being pulled into literal blackness. His lungs were burning, and his head was pounding._

Help me!

_The blackness faded in and out, and his vision began to double. He saw the blackness, the water drowning him, and at the same time, he saw a white pastel ceiling and a man with brown hair watching him. He heard the man calling him, "Colonel Sheppard?"_

_He couldn't differentiate between the blackness and the voice. All he knew was that he couldn't breath. He felt the water pulling him under, and he screamed._

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A/N: I don't know if that counts as rescued, but hey, they found him right? Weeee! I was getting worried I'd never get to this scene.


	19. Home Sweet Home

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis is not mine, never was, and never shall be. Unfortunately there is nothing I can do about the first two, but if anyone can help me with the last, feel free to lemme know. ;-)_

**Chapter 19: Home Sweet Home**

The screaming seemed to go on forever, echoing in his ears even as he was drowning. His chest wanted to explode from the combined forces of the screaming and the water bearing down on him. He thought he heard shouting mixed in with the roaring in his ears, but he couldn't be sure. Not that he had the energy to spare to even think about it.

A different wave of warm water started pushing against the water that was pulling him down, preventing him from sinking any deeper. The warmth of the new water was crafty and managed to slink in between the icy tendrils of the original wave, allowing the first touch of warmth to return to his body. Even as he continued to float in the icy ocean, he knew he was no longer alone. He thrashed one last time against the malevolent water sucking him into the depths, only to feel the crushing weight disappear to be replaced with the warmth of several hands holding him down.

Pressure that was firm but not painful held his head in place, and then air began to push its way into his lungs. His mind froze, and his body was paralyzed by the shock as the unexpected oxygen smothered the merciless inferno in his chest, leaving a negligible ache. It felt wonderful just to breath the cool air, and he stopped fighting to revel in it.

He barely noticed the transition from his watery nightmare to the waking world. He drifted, lost in the relief of breathing. The beach floated away into a distant memory as his world became nothing more than a sensory awareness of just breathing.

"John," a soft female voice called to him. Was she back? He wanted to believe that she hadn't left him alone to drown, but no, the voice wasn't hers.

His eyelids rose slowly of their own will, leaving him vulnerable to the blinding white light of what was really a dimly lit room. He shut them again quickly and just allowed himself to feel. The beach was gone and he was lying on something flat and firm. Had someone rescued him from the storm? He could feel the soft weight of a blanket over his trembling body, warming him. Someone was holding his hand while another hand was soothing his hair. Always his damn hair. He tried to pull away from the hands, but his body was made of lead, trapping him in place. What had they drugged him with this time? He was too lethargic to care.

"Colonel Sheppard, can you hear me lad?" Sheppard felt his eyes drift open again, trying to acknowledge the funny voice. The light was softer this time, allowing him to see the piercing blue eyes staring at him. The man smiled warmly at him. "It's very good to see you Colonel. You just relax; we'll have you home soon enough."

Home. Sheppard wanted to laugh in relief, but only had the energy for the smallest of smiles. Yeah, home sounded good.

x X x X x X x

Beckett watched Sheppard drift off to sleep as he finished his assessment. The man was beyond exhausted, dangerously so. Beckett didn't know why, but since there was no sign of head trauma, he had no reservations about encouraging Sheppard to sleep. Elizabeth continued to sooth John's wild hair down, careful of the oxygen mask, and Rodney continued to hold his hand, both offering him whatever comfort they could.

Carefully lifting up the blanket once more, Carson did his best to hide the Colonel's naked body from the other people in the room. He studied the mysterious purple mark, trying to deduce its potential threat if he brought Colonel Sheppard back to Atlantis before identifying it. Running his fingers over it, Beckett once more catalogued the skin-like feel of it, noting how it seamlessly melted into Sheppard's skin. It didn't appear to be causing the Colonel harm, but he definitely needed to get a chest x-ray.

Replacing the blanket, Beckett came to a decision, and nodded for his men to load Sheppard onto the stretcher. "I need to get him back to Atlantis," he told Dr. Weir.

"Off course," she nodded, backing away as the medics transferred Sheppard. "I'll radio Teyla and Ronon to meet you on the way. Take good care of him." Beckett nodded as he turned to leave.

McKay turned to Zelenka, who nodded that he had everything in control, and should follow Beckett out. Rodney felt lost, and just stared, before blurting, "Don't forget to look for a ZedPM. A city this size should have several. The power's still running, so they're probably charged. We need to…"

"Rodney, I know. Go." Zelenka assured him.

"Right," McKay nodded to himself several times before taking off after the med team.

x X x X x X x

Caldwell was there to meet them as they came through the gate, his eyes honing in on Sheppard's twitching form. Accustomed to recovering Sheppard beaten, broken, and bloody, an exhausted and bruised pilot was a little underwhelming.

"Doctor, what do we have here?" he asked as Sheppard was transferred from the stretcher to a gurney. They propped the gurney up to a forty-five degree angle to help the colonel breathe. His team was hovering nearby, trying to stay out of the way while fighting the instinctual urge to be doing something helpful.

"Well, he's clearly exhausted, and something's wrong with his breathing," Beckett reported as he helped bustle Sheppard towards the infirmary. "They had him in a stasis pod. I'm sure that and the breathing problems are related. There's an unknown substance covering part of his chest… it might have something to do with, or even be causing the problem. Either way, I need to get him into the scanner and make sure he's near a ventilator in case he gets any worse."

"I trust you'll take all the proper precautious with this substance. The last thing we need is something from the planet to spread throughout the city. You might want to put Sheppard in isolation," Caldwell offered as they zoomed through the infirmary doors.

"Aye, I do know what I'm doing Colonel, and I don't think there'll be a problem," Beckett tsked.

"Besides, Atlantis would have gone into lock down if it was something catch-able." McKay muttered, needing to be saying _something_.

"Rest assured, I'll be investigating it thoroughly once the Colonel is taken care of," Beckett assured while making it very clear that hanging around talking was not his priority,

"Very well. Keep me informed doctor," Caldwell ordered as he strode off to the Control Room. Rodney was tempted to flip him off behind his back, but settled for promising himself that he'd shut off the man's hot water supply later. Plus, Ronon was doing enough dagger-glaring for all of them.

Beckett's nursing staff was quickly and efficiently maneuvering Sheppard's limp form into burgundy scrubs, which blissfully covered the protruding ribs. McKay was rather surprised at the lack of furtive looks and unprofessional comments regarding Sheppard. He would have pegged at least half the nurses for having little girlish crushes on the cocky fly-boy they had naked and at their mercy. Sheppard's charm must be wearing off.

Of course, it was hard to ogle the man when an oxygen mask covered half his face. "What do you think is wrong with his breathing Carson?" McKay asked as Beckett was aligning the scanner over the bed. "You don't think he has a collapsed lung, do you? That's what always happens to tall people who are too skinny. You hear me Colonel?" McKay almost shouted his question, caught up in the overwhelming miasma of feelings jumbling his thought process. "This is what you get for not eating!"

Ronon was pulling him away from Sheppard forcefully as he started trembling. "Rodney," Teyla hissed, "You know as well as we do that Colonel Sheppard would not have allowed himself to become this malnourished of his own volition."

McKay was torn between arguing Sheppard's lack of self-preservation skills and apologizing when he was interrupted by a moan from the bed. Sheppard's head tossed from side to side, and every muscle in his body visibly tensed. "Well, done. If he wakes up panicked, it'll be on your head Rodney," Beckett threatened.

Sheppard's eyelids rose to half-mast before shutting again quickly with another moan. "Colonel Sheppard?" Beckett called softly. Sheppard's head rolled in the direction of the voice, and several blinks later, he had both lids fully open, revealing drowsy, hazel eyes. Sheppard seemed to be caught in slow motion as he lethargically looked at each of them. "Are you real?" he whispered.

The fact that Sheppard didn't bolt out of the bed screaming was a good sign, in McKay's very esteemed opinion. "Of course we're real. Why wouldn't we be real?" Turning to Carson, he asked quickly, "He's not hallucinating, is he?"

Sheppard's face scrunched up in confusion, and Beckett sent McKay a withering glare. Ronon gave his arm a sharp pinch as he pulled the scientist back a few feet.

"Do you know where you are Colonel?" Beckett asked.

Sheppard's eyes closed in concentration, and remained so for several moments. McKay tried to catch Beckett's eye, but the doctor's attention rested solely with Sheppard. What was taking so long? Clearly Sheppard was addled and needed treatment, not questions! Beckett needed to be doing his voodoo, and here he was just standing around. Ronon's threatening grip on his arm was the only thing standing between Beckett and a harsh tongue-lashing.

Just as McKay was getting ready to face whatever pain Ronon would dole out on Beckett's behalf Sheppard's entire body relaxed and his eyes opened, infinitely clearer than before. "'Lantis" he whispered, before his whole chest started shaking.

"Oh my god, he's having a seizure!' McKay panicked, preparing one hell of a rant for the obviously negligent physician. Why wasn't Beckett doing something?!

"He's not having a seizure Rodney," Beckett huffed, exasperated.

"Then what's wrong with him?" he demanded.

"McKay," Sheppard gasped under the mask. His eyes opened once more, allowing a suspicious wetness to fall down his cheek. "I'm all right. It's just good to be home." This time McKay could see the smile under the mask and realized that Sheppard had been laughing. Laughing!

Smiling himself, Becket patted Sheppard on the shoulder. "And it's good to have you back Colonel. Now your team," and here he glared at McKay, "is just going to wait outside while we run a few tests, alright? They can come back when we're finished."

"What? Wait, we need to know what happened to him!" McKay objected. "What happened to you?" he asked Sheppard directly.

To this, Sheppard just closed his eyes prompting Beckett to go into protective doctor mode. "You can ask him all the questions you want once I'm through with him. Right now Colonel Sheppard needs medical attention." Seeing McKay about to protest, Beckett added quietly, "The Nultarans are dead Rodney. It's not like there's any hurry."

With that Beckett drew the privacy curtains around the bed and returned to his patient. The hum of the Ancient scanning device filled the room.

"Perhaps we should go to the mess to wait for word from Dr. Beckett," Teyla suggested reasonably. Both men nodded to this. Ronon released McKay's arm, trusting him to follow like a big boy, but regretted it and had to retake it when McKay remained exactly where he was, staring at the curtain as though he could watch Sheppard beyond it. "We got him back; he'll be okay."

Startled, McKay jerked his gaze away. "Of course he will. Why wouldn't he, and why are you just standing here? I thought we were getting food. I haven't eaten anything since the jumper. Do you want me to go into hypoglycemic shock?" Snapping, he added, "And coffee… I definitely need some coffee." Without further ado, McKay turned and left the infirmary, his long absent arrogant strut once more back in place.

Ronon and Teyla exchanged grins behind McKay's back. All was right with the world again.

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_A/N: This was the happy lull. The angst resumes next chapter, I promise. I know it was short, but I just needed something to get the momentum going again._


	20. Take Her Name In Vain

_Disclaimer: Don't own it. Wah._

**Chapter 20: Take Her Name In Vain**

It was very difficult to walk in a straight line and not encounter a prostrated body stiff with rigor mortis. Still, there were some who were willing to try. Or perhaps, needed to try. Several Atlantean and Genii soldiers had undertaken the gory task of lining up the dead along the outer walls, out of the way of the scientists bustling about the newly discovered city. A few Atlantean personnel, medics presumably, took the time to inspect each body individually, and photograph their faces.

Dr. Weir was among those who needed to constantly be in motion; otherwise the horror of the situation became overwhelming. She liked to pace a lot when she was anxious, Kolya observed, amused. The memories of his internment in this wretched city that was both a boon and a danger to his people were far from pleasant. His remedy to this was to focus on making everyone else as unnerved as he was. So far, it was working.

The twitchy little scientist who was working his magic at one of the control stations was watching him nervously out of the corner of his eye. Kolya wandered in the man's direction, appeasing his boredom. He was brought up short by a subtle gesture, yet unmistakable threat, of the fantastic weapon the Atlantean soldier guarding the scientist was holding as it was raised ever so slightly to point directly at his heart. With a smirk, Kolya continued wandering away under the watchful eyes of the soldier.

These Atlanteans were so much fun to play with. Too bad his favorite scientist was missing. He'd been here earlier. Where was Dr. McKay?

"What are you doing?" Ladon asked him quietly once Kolya had wandered back to his side at another consol across the room. As a scientist, Ladon couldn't resist examining the technology either. The Lantean guards were watching him carefully, but not interfering in his investigations. Sadly, Kolya doubted it was because of Ladon's own armed soldiers guarding him. More likely it was the mere silent acceptance from Dr. Weir.

"Just stretching," Kolya answered innocently. Perhaps it was fortunate that Dr. McKay was absent. With his acerbic mouth running at full speed as always, Kolya would have had to do something to defend the Genii's honor at this point. Things would have only gone down hill swiftly from there. It certainly would have been more interesting though.

Ladon glared in return. "Try not to start any more wars with these people. It really isn't worth it."

_Coward,_ Kolya thought, once more despising his failed protégé. The pathetic dominance of the Lanteans in this situation was more proof than he needed to be aware of the growing weakness in the Genii political reign. Really, where had he gone wrong? Perhaps it really was time for him to step in and do something about the Genii's growing complacency. It was shameful and dangerous.

Who was the better scientist anyway? Ladon or McKay?

"We should probably take our own pictures of the dead," Ladon mumbled, hesitantly looking between Kolya and the activity along the room's perimeter.

Kolya snorted in disgust at the thought. "There's no need Ladon. A dead Nultaran is a dead Nultaran."

Ladon paused at the bitterness in his former mentor's voice. Focusing intently on the faces of the Nultarans, trying to ignore the putrid green tint, he asked, "Did you know any of them…personally?"

When only silence greeted his question, Ladon tore his gaze for the morbid sight and looked at Kolya. The commander's face was frozen, his eyes unreadable to most, but Ladon knew him well enough to recognize the hatred suppressed beneath years of practiced military veneer. Ladon opened his mouth to say something to Kolya, not wishing to deny his piqued curiosity, when the Lantean across the room called out.

"Dr. Weir!" the scientist beckoned with his strange accent. "I think I have something."

x X x X x X x

Every time Kolya went near him, Radek would tense up and find it difficult to concentrate on his work. It was a ridiculous reaction. If it had happened while he was working growing up he would have been dismissed or shot. Major Lorne had noticed his distress and was thankfully keeping the man at a distance, letting him work in peace. As a result, Radek hit the jackpot.

"What is it Radek?" Dr. Weir asked. Kolya and Ladon approached as well, and with the appropriate excuse preventing Lorne from outright shooting them. Damn.

"With Major Lorne's help, I've managed to bring what power is available back online and complete a full censor sweep of the city." Here he grinned excitedly. "While parts of the city have collapsed, most of the damage was centralized around the access points. Most likely the Ancients were trying to keep anyone from re-entering the city, rather than destroy it."

"That's good news Radek," Dr. Weir smiled. "Do you know why they sealed it off?"

"Ah, no. Not yet," he stuttered. "But, and this is the really good part, all systems seem to be operational. There's no star drive, so this city's not a ship like Atlantis, but even still, there are at least two working ZPMs, maybe a third. I need to go check to be certain."

"Good work. Let me know when you find out. Something good may come from this disaster after all," Dr. Weir smiled, easing the weariness in her eyes a fraction. Radek nodded in satisfaction. With a last nervous glance at the Genii, Radek took off. Lorne signaled for Lt. Lesnik to escort him.

Ladon decided that now was the time to make his move.

"So there are now two known fully functional Ancient cities in this galaxy. I hardly think your people need both of them Dr. Weir," he broached. "I think it's time I called for a few more of my people to come in to begin repairs and make this city habitable again."

"Do you?" Dr. Weir challenged.

"The Genii have been in negotiations with the Nultarans far longer than your people. We are not responsible for Colonel Sheppard's captivity, and have therefore committed no offenses against Atlantis. Your participation in this operation was granted so that you could retrieve him. We helped you, and now I think it is time that you withdraw and allow us to continue with our mission," Ladon explained.

"Ladon, I seriously doubt that the Genii were completely innocent in Colonel Sheppard's capture," Dr. Weir responded with a firm gaze that transferred to Kolya upon mention of the word 'innocent.' "As it is, we are not leaving until we know what happened to the occupants of this city. For all we know, it was one of your people who poisoned the Nultarans. Such an act of war negates any claim you may have had to this city."

"The disputes between the Genii and our trading partners are none of your concern Dr. Weir." Ladon argued. "If we had known in advance that the Nultarans had Colonel Sheppard, we could have come to you for assistance in a battle here, and you would have granted it. So please, let's disperse with self-righteous speech."

Weir's face turned to stone at Ladon's accusation, making Kolya want to burst out laughing. "Don't try my patience Ladon. I recognize the contribution the Genii have made to Colonel Sheppard's return, and I know that you will need our help to keep this city operational. Unless any of you have suddenly developed the ability to activate Ancient technology?"

At Kolya and Ladon's silence, Dr. Weir nodded. "Then let's see if we can come to a more suitable agreement gentlemen, shall we?"

x X x X x X x

A full lunch, three deserts, and four cups of coffee later, Beckett finally called and said they could return to the infirmary. "About time," McKay grumbled. "How long can it possibly take to run a simple scan?"

"We are all anxious to know how Colonel Sheppard is doing, Dr. McKay," Teyla scolded. "Please try not to blame Dr. Beckett for your worry."

McKay grumbled about sheep-herders and voodoo practitioners, but held back from barraging Beckett with questions when they reached the infirmary. Carson was waiting for them at the door, and seemed almost surprised when McKay actually let him talk before yelling at him.

"Considering the condition he usually returns in, he's faring rather well," Beckett offered, not even waiting for the expected 'How's Sheppard?' The team gave Carson no chance to warn them as they walked over to Sheppard's bed. They were more than a little surprised to see more tubes than they had ever seen leading into and out of the sleeping man. There were the usual I.V. and monitor leads, along with the dreaded catheter, feeding tube, and another tube jutting out of Sheppard's side between his ribs.

"What the heck happened Carson? I've seen a circuit board with less wires and connections!" McKay demanded loudly.

"Hush Rodney!" Beckett ground his teeth. "You will keep your voice down in my infirmary or this will be the last time you are conscious while you're here. Colonel Sheppard is dangerously exhausted and is currently sleeping. And if he wakes up because of your incessant ranting, there will be hell to pay Rodney. We're going beyond just needles…."

McKay glared, but waited for Beckett's explanation with arms crossed and foot tapping.

"Thank you," Beckett huffed. "Colonel Sheppard will most likely be sleeping for a while, and he can't wait that long to get more food into him- thus the feeding tube. I don't think I need to explain the I.V. to you. Now as for the more serious matter. The purple substance applied to Colonel Sheppard's chest was actually a patch, an organic band-aid if you will," he informed them. "The x-ray revealed a punctured lung, which the patch was keeping marginally inflated, but not enough to heal on its own- hence the tube in his side. Usually, with medical support, a lung can heal on its own. However, I'm keeping a very close eye on it since normally this procedure is done very soon after the lung collapses. I think the patch was applied at least a day before Colonel Sheppard was placed in the stasis pod, and I don't know as yet how it's affected his recovery. It most likely helped, but it's a new technique to me, so I can't be sure."

"How'd his lung collapse in the first place?" Ronon asked sensibly.

A haunted look entered Beckett's eyes. "He was stabbed. He was bloody lucky too; the blade just missed his heart. Another few millimeters and he would be dead."

"May we sit with him?" Teyla asked after a moment of heavy silence. She had a feeling that despite the great length of Beckett's report, he was leaving something out. Something vital. What could have happened to Sheppard that was so bad Carson couldn't even tell his team?

"Of course," Beckett agreed. "But remember, he's desperate for rest, so try not to wake him." Sheppard was so exhausted that normally Beckett would have forbid any visitors for at least twelve hours, but after being missing for so long, Beckett didn't have the heart to deny his friends. He'd probably need them soon enough.

x X x X x X x

The hands were everywhere again. They had left him alone for so long, and now they were back. He tried to pull away from them, but as always he was too weak. He pulled into himself, focusing on the blackness behind his eyelids, letting the void consume the world as if it would make the hands go away. The more he focused on the nothingness the more he realized the hands felt different. They weren't graceful and probing, trying to turn him on; they were business-like and somewhat jostling, and they all stayed away from his sensitive areas.

He forced himself to relax and just breathe. There was a burning in his chest that had nothing to do with the hands and was trying to devour him from the inside out. _Who shot me?_ he wondered vaguely.

At some point the jostling stopped, but then even more hands took their place – and they were a lot more personal. These hands were feeling all over his body, pressing into his stomach and kneading his chest. He groaned and managed to turn his head away, but his body was still stuck in place. The hands paused when he groaned, and someone called, "Colonel?"

There was a hand on his shoulder, and it was just sitting there. What were they doing now? Why were the hands so different?

A hand settled on his face, and he tried to roll away from it. It lifted his eyelid and a blinding flash of light followed. His hand miraculously found the strength to rise and swat at the light. _Stay away from the light!_ His hand connected with something solid, making a satisfying clap and blissfully taking the light away.

"That's what you get for always trying to blind people with those things," someone snorted.

"Why thank you Rodney," huffed that funny, yet exasperated voice again, and suddenly his memory came whooshing back.

John's eyes snapped open and the drifting shattered, replaced by bright lights and cold, sterile air. He shivered against the cold caressing his skin, and realized he was wearing scrubs. The smooth and heavy sensation of a cotton blanket wrapped around his body coupled with the scrubs relaxed him, easing the shivers. It felt so good to be in clothing again, even if it was scrubs. The feeling of security was almost enough to send him back under again. Unfortunately the remnants of the bright light someone had stuck in his eye refused to go away.

Blearily, John opened his eyes to the pastel white ceiling so familiar and welcome. "What happened?" he tried to ask, but couldn't gather the breath to do so, emitting more of a quiet, "Wah…?"

"Here, have a sip Colonel," Beckett instructed as a cup was pressed to his lips. The water slipped easily down his throat, slaking his thirst. The action of swallowing however caused the tightness in his chest to intensify.

Carson heard the groan that escaped his lips and without being asked inserted something into his I.V. He then started rubbing away some of the ache out of Sheppard's chest. Not long after, he felt the warmth flood his veins, and the pain in his chest didn't seem to matter much anymore. The bed was comfortable, and he was home. He felt a smile twitching on his lips as he relaxed in the soothing call of sleep.

"There he goes again," McKay grumbled, making Sheppard want to laugh even as he was falling asleep.

Beckett's hands continued to rub the skin above his heart. Sheppard's eyes drifted open again allowing his gaze to focus on the Scot, trying to understand how he had gotten there. It felt weird after so long for someone other than Anka to be caring for him. He let his eyes roam the infirmary, fruitlessly checking for clues, and discovered McKay hovering over Beckett's shoulder, looking worried, Teyla and Ronon behind him. Sheppard stared at them, waiting for this good dream to be over and to wake up in his pornographic nightmare.

Beckett watched Sheppard's eyes close only to snap back open and he knew the man was fighting Morpheus' call. "It's all right Colonel; you go to sleep if you need to. We'll be right here when you wake up."

"What? We've been waiting for over a day. He needs to wake up, not sleep Carson!" McKay objected.

"Rodney, I swear, you are two very short steps away from getting kicked out for good. Now hold your tongue." Beckett threatened, none of the softness in his voice that he used with his patients.

Sheppard wanted to sleep, the clothes and the usually uncomfortable infirmary bed suddenly seeming like paradise, but he'd wanted to see his friends for so long. _I'm really home._ "You givin' the doc a hard time McKay?" he slurred drowsily.

"It's not my fault if certain people are being ridiculous," McKay baited.

Even in his barely awake state, Sheppard knew McKay was being unnecessarily cruel to Beckett. "Stop it McKay, just talk to me."

"Okay, I can do that. Let's see, how about we start with what happened to you? We found you in a stasis pod, for crying out loud!" Rodney just couldn't seem to keep his voice quiet for anything.

"Rodney, he said _talk_ to him, not put him through the whole inquisition!" Beckett scolded. Sheppard wasn't listening anymore though.

_Stasis pod?_ How the heck had he gotten into a stasis pod? The last thing he remembered was…

Pain. And guilt. Something was wrong, happening that shouldn't…. The knife! _How am I still alive? _Sheppard felt overwhelmed by all the unanswered questions, and more particularly by being alive when by all rights he should be dead. What he'd almost done….

_MAVAH!_

"Colonel? Are you all right?" Beckett asked as Sheppard face drastically paled.

"Oh be serious Carson, you know exactly what he's going to say. Why do you even ask?" McKay smirked, trying to find some normalcy with this waif of his friend, not realizing his timing was a little premature. "He's either fine, or good. There are no other answers in the Sheppard-verse. Am I right, Colonel?"

"Mavah. What happened to Mavah?" Sheppard demanded, suddenly launching forward off the already inclined bed, completely ignoring McKay's question. "Did I…?"

Beckett grew concerned at Sheppard's sudden panic and had to practically force the man to lie back down in the bed. Sheppard grabbed the lapels of Beckett's coat, crushing the coarse fabric tightly. "Who is Mavah?" Beckett asked reasonably.

"What, you're not even going to make us guess the name of your conquest this time? How decidedly charitable of you Colonel. To think, some people go their whole lives looking for 'the one' and you just happen to find them on every planet." McKay's smart-ass comments were abruptly halted as a fist met his jabbering jaw and another his nose. Stars dotted his vision as he heard someone shout, "Colonel!"

Sheppard had been gazing off into space while muttering about Mavah, but abruptly snapped when McKay opened his mouth one time too many on the wrong topic. Before anyone had a chance to react, Sheppard was half out of the bed with bloody knuckles and McKay was on the floor cupping his nose. "Don't you dare!" Sheppard raged, no longer seeing the world, just Mavah's anguished face.

Ronon was the first to react and drag Sheppard back onto the bed before he fell on top of McKay. Beckett bent down to the stunned McKay while nurses and another doctor ran to help. "Check the Colonel," he informed them. "He's probably pulled everything loose or out." Beckett pinched the bridge of Rodney's nose while he inspected the obviously broken bone and split lip.

"Wha ba hall?" McKay tried to shout, only to be overcome by his own whimpering.

"I warned you to keep your trap shut!" Beckett seethed without sympathy. "Your nose is now officially broken. Congratulations."

Sheppard lay panting on his bed, trying to breathe unsuccessfully. He'd pulled out the tube inflating his lung. Mavah wouldn't stop crying as the world grew incredibly dark. _I'm so sorry. Mavah, I'm so sorry!_


	21. Catch Up and Fried Eggs

_Disclaimer: Don't own it._

_Disclaimer II: Any medical anything that appears in any chapter of any of my stories is completely based on internet research, and is likely to be inaccurate. I promise to go back and correct it if I ever go to medical school._

_AN: Once again, a big thank you to everyone who reviewed and puts up with my long delays. Here's a nice long one as a thank you._

**Chapter 21: Catch Up and Fried Eggs,**

**or Was That Ketchup and Fried Physicists?**

"Come on John. I know you're not sleeping," Anka's voice was harsh even while the hand that was shaking his shoulder was gentle.

"'m tired," he mumbled, smothering his face even deeper into the pillow. _God, why wouldn't they just let him sleep? Just for one night, a little rest…._

Something wet dragged across his face over and over again, poking into his nose, his lips, his eyes, and everywhere else that was exposed. John moaned and tried to turn his face away from it, but the wetness just redoubled its efforts on his ear. John's eyes slid open as his hand moved to slap the source of the disgusting moisture away, only to be brought up short by the sound of mournful, pleading whining. Cracking his eyes open further, John stared into the pleading black eyes begging him to wake up. Startled, John froze as it leaped into his bed, maneuvering its sleek body under his arm, nestling against him to get a better angle on his face.

Sheppard trailed his fingers over the course black hair, stopping to scratch behind the ears. "Rex? Whadda you doing here?" The black lab barked in confirmation as it stood, trying to nudge him farther off the bed, continue in his earlier effort to get him out of it. Sheppard just stared at the pet he hadn't seen in almost thirty years. Rex had died in the car crash with his mother when he was ten.

Rex gave him one last nudge before apparently accepting defeat, and lay down next to John again with a "humph." While John's brain tried to process the presense of his once best friend, his hand returned to the business of some serious ear scratching. Rex continued licking and wagging his tongue in appreciation.

"I think he missed you," Anka laughed. She reached over to give Rex's ears a scratch and received a thank you lick of her own. John chuckled in agreement, moving to rub the canine's belly. "You do have to get up sometime, you know," Anka reminded him.

"Hm, do not," John replied, resting his head on Rex's in an eerie imitation of an Athosian greeting. "Tired."

"John," Anka's voice lowered in warning, "You know what happens when you stay in bed all day."

The texture of Rex's hair changed under John's face, all at once smooth, with the previously short hair lengthening and tickling the inside of his nose. John's eyes shot open even as his body instinctually jerked away, his eyes wide with terror. A flash of blonde hair was all he saw before he was flat on his back, Dala's legs straddling his own. "We can have so much fun together," she crooned. "Think of all the fun things we can do, again and again." She bent over to kiss him, but John was already bucking his hips, throwing her off balance.

Dala's deceptively beautiful face morphed into the redhead's serious and business-like one. "I want to have your children John." John bucked his hips again, closing his eyes tightly and turning his head away.

Suddenly the weight was gone. John cautiously opened his eyes and let out a sigh of relief when he saw no one was there. _Definitely time to get out of bed._ As his feet hit the floor he spotted a trail of blood leading out of the bed. His stomach collapsed within him as he followed the bright red spots, his vision tunneling in as he saw the figure hunched in the corner, sobbing. The dark curls parted as the head lifted, revealing the face he knew he'd see. The sobbing stopped for an endless second as their eyes locked, before she let loose a terrible screech that shattered him straight through to his soul as he listened. Releasing her knees from her chest, she raised a familiar looking knife into the air.

"Mavah, no!" he cried, bounding towards her.

Her anguished wailing only increased in volume as she drove the knife straight into her own heart.

"NO!"

x X x X x X x

Carson was in his office when he heard the desperate "No!" lance through the quiet infirmary. Recognizing the voice as Sheppard's (which wasn't hard to do with only one patient), Beckett rushed to the Colonel's bed. He'd only lightly sedated the man a few hours ago. John had quickly fallen into a natural sleep that up to this point had been peaceful.

Pushing the curtains out of his way, he saw Sheppard sitting ramrod straight, his arm clutched around his chest, panting. A thin sheet of sweat covered his face as he stared out at something only he could see.

"Colonel Sheppard? It's alright son; you're safe." When Sheppard showed no signs of having heard him, Carson approached and carefully laid a hand on his shoulder. Sheppard jumped as if he'd been burned, but at least he snapped out of his fugue.

For a moment, Sheppard looked as if he couldn't figure out why the heck Carson would be there. "Beckett?"

"Aye. Were you expecting someone else?" he asked, honestly curious.

Sheppard ignored his question, taking the time to take in his surroundings, obviously reorienting himself. It was perfectly obvious to anyone who knew the man the exact second he became fully cognizant of his situation. The uncertainty and open expression caused by the disorientation vanished, replaced by the seamless veneer of the laid-back flyboy. "What happened?" he asked finally.

_What didn't happen,_ Carson thought. Instead he countered with, "What's the last thing you remember Colonel?"

Sheppard's hand began rubbing his chest, prompting Beckett to ask, "Is your chest hurting you? You're not due for your next dose of pain meds for another hour." Although shouting with a tube in you ribs was undoubtedly a strain.

Sheppard looked at his hand as though he'd never seen it before, before shaking his head. "No, it's fine. In fact, I don't want any more drugs."

Beckett's eyebrows met his hairline. "Colonel, you were stabbed in the chest! That's not exactly a paper cut. I don't—"

"I know I was stabbed doc," Sheppard interrupted. "But I mean it. No more drugs."

The two men stared at each other, neither willing to back down. Finally Beckett offered an olive branch. "When you first arrived here, I did some blood tests," Sheppard's eyes looked away. Busted. "Your tox screen was through the roof with several different drugs. Is this related?"

Sheppard stared at his sheets, mentally regrouping. Nodding, he asked, "Are they all gone?"

"Your body had metabolized all of them, fortunately," Beckett confirmed.

Sheppard's shoulders sagged in relief. "When can I get out of bed?" he asked, looking haunted.

"Not for a while yet," Carson answered. He was disturbed by the strength of the Colonel's grimace as he told him. He knew the man didn't like the inactivity, but it wasn't exactly a prison sentence. "I'll tell you what Colonel," he offered, "You still need to take anti-inflammatories and anti-biotics, but I'll leave the pain management up to you. Alright?" Beckett felt a bit less like a warden and more like a doctor after Sheppard's grateful smile.

"Good, now, back to business. What's the last thing you remember?" Beckett asked. He doubted anything was wrong with the Colonel's memory, but between exhaustion and unknown drugs parading about his system, forgetfulness was a distinct possibility.

"My team was here. I was trying to sleep, but McKay kept talking," Sheppard grinned, letting Beckett know he didn't mind one bit. He glanced around, looking for said offender, his grin fading a little. "Where are they anyway? And what's with the curtains?"

Beckett bit his lip, hating to say anything that risked that carefree smile. "When you got back, you spent quite a bit of time asleep. You were suffering from severe exhaustion,"

Sheppard snorted. _No doubt about that._

"Rodney's been very worried about you—we all have—the result of which being that his legendary temper is now short enough as to be needing one of my microscopes to find it. When you first started waking up, he said some things that were out of line and upset you. I thought it best that you be given a chance to reacclimate, get your bearings, before I let your team set up camp in here," Beckett explained.

"Upset?" Sheppard asked. _What had he done now?_

"You broke his nose," Beckett clarified. "I'd have to say he deserved it at the time."

_I broke his nose? Good going John! Welcome back._

Beckett knew Sheppard's brain was probably going a million miles an hour, so he took over the task of keeping the conversation going, sparing the pilot from talking. His lungs could probably use the break anyway. "Your team came back through the Stargate without you just over two months ago. The inn where you disappeared was burned to the ground right before dawn. Fortunately your team escaped unharmed. The villagers blamed them for the fire and chased them back here. I found traces of a sedative in their blood; you were probably drugged as well."

"I don't remember," Sheppard commented.

"That's common with many sedatives. A rescue team returned with a jumper looking for you. When they got to the planet, some sort of powerful hurricane had devastated the area, covering everything with over a kilometer deep in mud. The storm was still going on while the team was looking for you. Ronon found your gear floating in the mud, along with debris from the village. Initially we thought the Nultarans were wiped out and you were dead," Here Beckett swallowed; now he was the uncomfortable one. "Fortunately Rodney insisted we keep looking.

We had no way to continue searching for you while the storm was still going, so we had to wait it out. It lasted a very long two weeks. We checked several times a day, everyday, waiting for it to be over. As soon as it was, several jumpers went through looking for you. There were no significant life signs to help us find you. It was like you and the Nultarans had disappeared!

While we were looking, the Wraith came. The hive-ship actually landed on the planet. The teams were forced to evacuate and then we had to wait the Wraith out. We feared the Nultarans may have been Wraith worshippers, and were handing you over."

Sheppard shook his head. This, at least, he could explain. "They were looking for the Nultarans. The Nultarans specialized in growing herbs. Something about the soil allowed them to grow things that couldn't grow elsewhere. They ate the herbs regularly with their food. Something about it caused the Wraith to become addicted. No humans other than the Nultarans would satisfy them. That's why they were culled so often."

"That makes sense, I suppose," The more Beckett thought about it, the more sense it made. "There's so little we know about the feeding process, I never even thought of how the humans' diet affected their palette. It happens in so many other species; it makes sense that the Wraith would be affected too. How did you find out?"

Sheppard hesitated, then shrugged. "Someone told me. It's a long story."

Beckett narrowed his eyes at the answer, but his mum had raised him to be a patient man. 'All things come to ye who wait' was her motto. "One day Major Lorne, who had been doing daily reconnaissance, reported that the hive had been destroyed. When we discovered the Ancient City, we had enough geniuses around to add one and one and figure out it was destroyed by drones. Was that you?"

Sheppard nodded. "Their only food source had vanished. They weren't going to leave until they'd found the Nultarans."

Beckett nodded in agreement. "After that, the jumpers returned to look for you. They ran into some old friends instead: Ladon Radim, Commander Kolya, and a small army of Genii." Sheppard's head shot up in surprise. "According to them, Kolya had been held prisoner there as well. Someone helped him escape, and as you can imagine, the Genii wanted revenge. They led us into the city, where we found you in a stasis pod. You were incoherent when we first revived you, and you were brought here for medical treatment."

Sheppard digested the news, finally satisfied knowing who had told the Nultarans about him. "Dala said someone had told them about me. Kolya must have set us up. What has Elizabeth done with him? I need to speak with her."

"Kolya denied any such thing of course, but Elizabeth already suspected as much. Kolya and Ladon are still in the other city, along with a whole slew of marines, scientists, and Elizabeth herself."

Sheppard snorted. "I bet Senzen is loving that. Warn Elizabeth to be careful. That city's alive and I don't think entirely sane. You need to get all the gene carriers out of there."

"What are you talking about Colonel?"

"She's not like Atlantis. She kept talking to me, telling me things. At first it was harmless, maybe even helpful stuff, like encouraging me to eat. Then it started to get weird. She told me about the Wraith, and used my exhaustion to make me do things like reveal the weapons chair. She stopped me when I tried to escape and lead the Nultarans right to me," Sheppard warned. "She 'doesn't want to be alone again' she said."

"Colonel, the city's not a sentient being," Beckett argued, beginning to wonder about possible hallucinatory properties of the drugs he had been subjected to.

"Then A.I. or something! I'm not making it up Carson," Sheppard snarled. "You need to trust me and tell Elizabeth now."

"All right Colonel, I'll pass it on," Beckett said, tapping his radio immediately to placate the alarmed man. "Dr. Weir,"

"What can I do for you Carson?" she asked. John repeated the words in his head, marveling at just how much he'd missed the mere sound of her voice. He was getting too sentimental, too attached.

Beckett relayed Sheppard's message, giving no indication of his previous skepticism. "Understood. So far the city's hasn't given us any problems, so we'll stay until replacements arrive. I don't intend to leave the Genii here alone, although even they don't seem to like wading through a river of bodies either. I'll be back in Atlantis in about an hour. I'll stop by then."

The infirmary was dead quiet in the wake of Elizabeth's statement. Carson was silently swearing at his boss's casual, yet entirely unhelpful words. "What did she mean by 'a river of bodies'?" Sheppard asked in the slow, cold, careful drawl that really meant he planned on adding to that river.

"Not long before we entered the city, someone released an airborne poison into the city. We have a security video of the culprit, so we know it wasn't the Genii this time. Rodney picked up two life signs going through the gate right before we met up with the Genii. We think they were Nultarans. Everyone else is dead." Beckett waited nervously for Sheppard's reaction. The man was too calm.

"Mavah? Anka?" he asked, every muscle tensed in dread.

"I'm sorry, but no one knows any of their names. I have a medical team on site taking pictures of all the dead," Beckett made note to tell Dr. Biro to make sure the pictures weren't too grizzly. "I'll have them brought to you as soon as they're compiled."

Sheppard nodded, fists gripping the blankets tightly.

"Do you need anything?" Carson asked, feeling helpless around his friend who had obviously cared for at least some of these people—hopefully the two who had escaped the massacre. Sheppard shook his head, wishing he had the strength to rush back to the planet and look for them himself.

Carson had a nurse fetch Sheppard a food tray, leaving it covered on the table by his bed. "When you're ready," was all he said.

**x X x X x X x**

The circuit board started sparking the instant Rodney went near it, proving once and for all he worked with idiots. "You incompetent monkey! How did you ever graduate high school? Don't you know anything?" he screamed at Radek, pressing the side of his reddened hand to his mouth. "Turn it off."

Zelenka hurried to switch off the power flowing into the consol. He felt like laughing at the irony of McKay being the one to say they were using too much power, but his nerves were far too taut for such an act after no less than three solid hours of Rodney's lovely demeanor. The man had joined the science teams earlier in the day already in a foul mood. The few jeers over the broken nose probably didn't help. As always, McKay just had to lead whatever project Radek was working on (regulating the city's power output from its one ZPM actually was important and worthy of the head of the department's time, so Radek let this one slide as coincidence). Radek's day had gone steadily south since.

"I swear, you're all useless," Rodney grumbled. He started snapping his fingers at Miko. "You, go find Horband and tell him I need him here. And tell him to bring back the proper cables this time. You think you can do that?" Miko fled. Even she was crumbling under Rodney's ire.

"His name's Holbund," Radek muttered, unsurprised when Rodney completely ignored him.

"Maybe you should—" Jemris started to offer. His simpering voice could annoy anybody, but it seemed to tickle a particularly sensitive nerve in McKay. Radek and Rodney both would have loved to be rid of him, but the temporary treaty between Elizabeth and Ladon insisted that the Genii have equal access to the city for the time being. At least the other Genii scientists had realized they were out of their league, but Jemris just had to keep trying, insisting he could get it right.

"That's nice. Did I ask you? Go be useful and stand over there," Rodney pointed to the far corner of the room. The Genii grimaced in distaste. He had been the one to discover this room earlier during his own explorations of the city and had decided to try and fix the broken panel himself. Live wires were still jutting out from it, and Jemris refused to go near them. McKay refused to allow any Lanteans near it, finding Jemris's misery satisfying. "Let him clean up his own mess."

"I happen to be a very important man among my people, Dr. McKay. You should be treating me with more respect than this," Jemris sneered.

"You want respect? Go fetch me some coffee," McKay dismissed him. "Radek, let's go. We need to run another diagnostic on the ZedPM; it's using way too much energy for even the simplest tasks."

Radek grumbled to himself, but connected his computer to the glorified battery once more. He jumped, startled, as a comforting hand landed on his shoulder. Teyla Emmagen, the lady of his dreams, smiled at him before turning to Rodney and delivering the best news all day. "Dr. McKay, you need to return to Atlantis."

"What? Why?" McKay demanded. "I just got here and there's still a lot of work that needs to be done if you want to get this city even marginally operational."

"Colonel Sheppard is awake and has warned us through Dr. Beckett that it is not safe for any gene carriers to be in the city. Everyone else is on their way out of the city already. Dr. Weir has sent replacement people over who do not have the gene. You must leave now," Teyla warned.

"Am I the only one who understands that the gene is _needed_ to make this city work? Without the gene, none of the technology lights up. Without the technology, there is no city. So therefore, I need to stay," McKay sounded like he was addressing a two-year-old, and the man hated them.

"You got a problem McKay?" Ronon leered over Teyla's shoulder.

McKay swallowed, seemed to gather his resolve, received another glare, and slammed his datapad against the table. "Fine. Sheppard's going to owe me a huge explanation for this one."

"You got us thrown out of the infirmary. You better not say _anything_ to Sheppard again," Ronon snarled, towering over him.

"He broke my nose! I think I have the right to be angry about that." McKay objected, closing his laptop once it finished powering down. He pointed his finger at Zelenka.

"Diagnostic, I know. Go," Radek huffed, exasperated.

"Right. Shall we?" He took off towards the door, only to have it close before he could get to it. "Now what? What did you do?" he rounded on the Genii still standing uselessly in the center of the room.

"Me? I didn't do this!" Jemris scoffed. "Your little minion must have overloaded the power again."

"Colonel Sheppard warned us the city was aware of the people in it, and would not willingly let the gene carriers leave. I hope this is not what he was talking about," Teyla pondered.

Ronon growled, throwing himself at the door.

"Oh that's good. Yeah, that'll really work," McKay rolled his eyes.

"Then fix it!" Ronon turned his furious energy on McKay, ignoring his throbbing shoulder.

"Working on it!" McKay turned back to the power consol. As he bent down to open the crystal tray more sparks cascaded out of it before the power surged sending McKay twitching to the floor unconscious.

"Rodney!" Teyla called, rushing over to him at the same time as Radek.


	22. Minor Inconveniences

_Disclaimer: Stargate Atlantis? You mean, that show on SciFi? The really good one that needs to show new episodes alread (dear god I'm dying to know what's going to happen next!) As in that thing that ain't mine? Yeah, that. Wah._

_Disclaimer II: Yeah, so… still haven't gotten to that whole medical school thing yet. If anyone reading this is a doctor and would like to correct me, that's cool. Appreciated even. For those of you out there who aren't doctors, this is not a textbook! Don't try any of these procedures on real people, for they may easily be wrong and not healthy!_

_Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who's still actually reading this. I never intended to take so much time between chapters. Come May and the end of the school year updates should be much more frequent. I may even finish it one day. (Stop snickering, I'm serious!)_

_Author's Note II: Just kidding. On with the story!_

**Chapter 22: Minor Inconveniences**

Radek watched in horror as Rodney's body thrashed on the floor, limbs flying everywhere as Ronon struggled to pin him down. The big man managed to grasp the flailing arms, holding him until the spasms dialed down to violent twitches and jerks. The smell of charred flesh filled his nostrils, making him want to vomit. "McKay," Ronon called, checking his body for burns.

"Is he all right?" Radek asked, crossing the room to kneel by McKay's side, afraid he'd find the worst. Instead, he let out a large sigh of relief when he saw McKay's face, its usual two-shades-too-paleness, was only slightly pink. The raw skin contrasted sharply with the white bandage covering his nose, making his face look almost clown-like, in a macabre kind of way. His hands were a mess of blisters, but at least they were a far cry from charred.

"He got lucky," Ronon sighed as he released the limp form, making it sound more like a reprimand.

"It is more likely the city did not wish to do him permanent harm and was instead trying only to incapacitate him," Teyla suggested as she hastily reached for her radio. "We need a medical team in the power room. Dr. McKay has been injured."

"This is Dr. Biro. I'm on my way. What happened?" came the over-caffeinated voice, making everyone, including Jemris, cringe.

"The room sealed when Dr. McKay tried to leave. He was electrocuted when he tried to fix the crystals," Zelenka explained. "His arms have been burned and he is unconscious."

"How's his breathing?" Biro asked, sounding huffy herself. She must have been running.

"Shallow and rapid," Teyla answered.

"Well, rapid is surely better than not at all," Biro panted. Right about now Rodney would be making some scathing comment about how non-reassuring such a statement was from someone who sounded like they couldn't breathe properly themselves, Zelenka mused. Then he mentally slapped himself for going off on a tangent. No wonder McKay thought he was an idiot sometimes. Dr. Biro was going to need the door open to tend to McKay, and it was up to him to make that happen.

With no further communication from the doctor, the room fell into a heavy silence. Ronon looked like he was considering charging the door again.

"At least it's quiet now," the Genii muttered, standing over the consol that had attacked McKay, hands in his pockets and head cocked to the side.

Radek ignored Ronon's furious approach towards the man in favor of giving the consol his own cursory examination. As Rodney was still breathing and there was nothing else he could do for him until Dr. Biro arrived, his immediate concern was getting the door open and determining whether or not the consol was still a danger to everyone in the room, not to mention the rest of the city. The sound of the scientist thumping to the floor followed by pained whimpering behind him went unremarked as Radek stared at the crystals, not daring to touch them himself. Images of McKay's blister-covered hands flashed in the back of his mind, but he dared not look at his friend for fear of losing his nerve around the unpredictable equipment. Grabbing the voltmeter from his bag along with a pair of rubber gloves, he pressed the prongs against the crystals. His brow furrowed and he swore a blue streak in Czech.

"What's wrong?" Teyla asked.

Radek pushed his glasses further up his nose as. "The readings are all normal," he mumbled. "The consol should either be super charged with the same energy it used to electrocute Rodney, or it should have overloaded. But it's neither. The power readings are back to where they were when we first started working on it. It should not be possible!" He glared at the station, imagining the consol whistling and rocking on back and forth, deceptively innocent.

"How can that be?" Teyla demanded.

Radek shook his head, "The —"

"McKay must have screwed up. I told him I was the more qualified person to handle this, but no one listens to me," Jemris sneered, pushing himself up off the floor. It had a rather demented effect with the blood still leaking from his cut lip. "You Lanteans are all so sure of yourselves. You come in all mighty from your far away home and think you can just run this galaxy like it's your birthright while those of us who've lived here for more generations than you can probably count are pushed off to the side like unruly children! This is what you deserve for your arrogance."

"The city attacked him. He did not screw up," Teyla corrected. "And in case you have forgotten, Ronon and I have also lived in this galaxy for countless generations." _Not to mention Rodney knows how to count to numbers that probably don't even exist, _Teyla thought.

Jemris ignored Teyla's correction, reveling in the absurdity of her first claim. "Oh, right, of course. The _city_ attacked him." Jemris rolled his eyes and laughed. "Next you'll be saying the Nultarans are coming back from the dead and trying to eat all of our brains. Woooo," Jemris waved his hands in a ghost impression. Radek was tempted to tell the man some of the more casual legends of Eastern Europe if he was going to try and frighten them with zombies. Sometimes, just once and a while, he wished he lacked the restraint holding him back from being just as immature as Rodney. Maybe then the universe would quake before _his _wrath.

"Colonel Sheppard warned us that the city is sentient and can act of its own will," Teyla argued, angered by the insolent Genii's flippant disregard. The man reminded her far too much of Dr. Kavanagh.

Jemris opened his mouth to say something indubitably insulting about the reliability of Sheppard as a source, but was cut off by Ronon starting towards him again. He was saved by Radek cutting him off. "Fine, it's all yours." He threw his gloves back in the bag, slinging it over his shoulder as he moved away from the consol. "If you think you can get the doors open from here, I'll get out of your way."

Ronon wheeled on Zelenka, looking shocked and convinced that the scientist was crazy. Zelenka just shrugged as he resumed his seat by Rodney and Teyla, digging through his bag. Ronon glowered at the Genii before backing away.

Believing he had won the argument, Jemris gave a self-satisfied huff before announcing, "Don't worry. I'm sure I'll have this all fixed soon, without even nearly killing myself for good measure. The _city,_" he snorted quietly to himself. He paused as he reached the consol, hands on his hips, lips pursed. He shifted from foot to foot, before asking, "Ah, I don't suppose I could borrow those gloves."

"You should have come prepared," Zelenka brushed him off, opening up his laptop.

Jemris's face turned an impressive shade of red as he spluttered. "What? You can't really expect an expert to perform deeds of great measure without the proper equipment! Your selfishness is not contributing to the task at hand. On the Genii homeworld…" Radek barely noticed the man's continued whining, letting it dull into the background as he often did with McKay in his more abrasive moods. Instead he focused his attention on the screen in front of him. It wasn't long before the clacking of keys and foreign expletives were the only sounds to be heard.

"Dr. Zelenka, should we not be working together to get out of this room?" Teyla asked quietly a short time later, looking disapproving.

Caught up in his determination, he barely realized it was his crush speaking to him. Gathering his wits, he snorted, "Let him make a fool of himself at that consol. The normal power levels mean that the current wasn't an accident and that it can easily happen again." Looking over at the pompous man, Radek thought it would be a blessing if it did. He shook his head, embarrassed for himself. He was getting as crass as McKay. "We're not going to be able to regain control over the power supply from such a direct route if the artificial intelligence system does not want us to. I'm trying to find an alternative."

"Well you'd better find one soon," Ronon growled. "Doc's gonna need those doors open to get to McKay."

Radek knew what McKay would say to that one. _Thank you Captain Obvious! _ He ducked his head and started rechecking all his data, reviewing the power spike over and over in his mind.

x X x X x X x

The Control Room was in a state of organized chaos as everyone bustled about, trying to figure out what had happened or just trying to stay out of the way. The gate had shut down unexpectedly on the Nultaran side during the evacuation. Miraculously no one had been demolecularized in transit. However, that left a lot of gene carrying personnel adrift in the Control Room after being so hastily recalled, plus not all of their replacements had been able to go through.

"Chuck, dial the planet," Dr. Weir ordered. Chuck nodded and started dialing quickly. Major Lorne was standing tensely over his shoulder, just as worried. The blue gush of the wormhole springing to life was a relief to everyone, and Weir wasted no time initiating radio contact. "Nultara, this is Atlantis. Report," she ordered to whoever might be listening on the other side.

"Atlantis, this is Ladon," he sounded relieved. "Something's happened with the control operations in this city. Certain systems, including Stargate Operations, are no longer responding to our commands. Because of this, we have been unable to establish any outgoing wormholes. Other systems, like basic life support, are still working perfectly."

"I see," she said. "Rodney, what's going on?"

To her surprise, the voice that answered her wasn't Rodney's, but Teyla's. "Dr. Weir?" _Rodney is unable to come to the phone right now, but if you leave your name and a brief message, he'll get back to you as soon as possible. BEEP!_ "Dr. McKay is injured and unconscious at the moment. The room sealed when he tried to leave, and the city attacked him when he tried to override the doors."

"Is he all right?" Weir asked in concern.

"I believe he will be. Dr. Biro is on her way," she answered in her perpetually calm voice.

"Teyla love, what's the nature of his injuries?" Dr. Beckett's voice joined them on the radio.

"He was electrocuted and fell to the floor convulsing. His hands and lower arms are burned to the point of blisters, and the rest of him is a little red," Teyla answered.

"All right, doesn't sound life threatening. Try and keep the skin moist if possible; soak his hands in any water you might have," a crash could be heard on the other side of the radio, along with some disjointed arguing. "Keep me informed," Beckett signed off suddenly.

"If it weren't for the fact that we've already replaced every military personnel we withdrew, I'd say the Genii were trying to steal the city," Lorne offered, looking like the possibility was still on the table.

Weir nodded in agreement, but wracked her brain for other options. Who else was there? "Radek? Do you have anything?"

"Working on it," was the terse reply.

x X x X x X x

Sheppard wasn't sure what the guck in front of him was supposed to be, but it sure as heck wasn't applesauce as the nurse had claimed. She'd been all smiles about getting him to "just take a few bites. You're all skin and bones!" Normally mother henning was Beckett's turf, but his staff seemed to be picking up his style. How anyone expected his appetite to return with such discouraging food was a mystery.

Pizza. That's what he needed. Sheppard closed his eyes and tried to pretend he could smell the pepperoni wafting under his nose to no avail. No matter how hard he raked his brain, he just couldn't conjure the smell in his mind. It had been too long. Heh, he never thought he'd find himself longing to spend his recovery on the Motherworld. He must be messed up.

John raised the napkin to wipe his mouth, grimacing at the sticky texture of the not-apple sauce. Pathetic. He'd tried to sweet talk the nurse into getting him pudding, or something with at least a little flavor, but as soon as he'd started to even smirk, nausea had rolled in at high tide. He'd turned his face away from the nurse before she'd even had the chance to realize he had tried to talk to her. But she'd noticed his sudden lack of color and rushed back over to him, asking if he needed anything. Cup of water? Emesis basin? Hole in the head? She'd been so nice, so considerate. It just made it worse. She had strawberry blond hair- the kind that in the right light (which of course it had been) looked really red. She wore it in a loose ponytail, allowing some of it to tickle his arms as she leaned over him. He even caught a hint of cleavage. It was unprofessional, but he had to admit, normal for him in the infirmary. Despite his adamant protests at McKay's accusations, he did flirt with the nurses, and yes, he'd even slept with two of them. Hey, nowhere in his contract did it say he had to be celibate! They weren't marines, and they weren't under his command. For once, he hadn't even broken any rules.

Now the thought of breasts made him shudder. He'd had more sex in the past two months than he ever thought he'd have in a lifetime. Not that that would have been a bad thing under the right circumstances, but those certainly hadn't been. Oh god, he was going to become a monk. Senzen may just as well have cut off his manhood. Sheppard glared at his dinner like it was its fault.

"What's the nature of his injuries?" Sheppard heard Beckett ask, snapping his mind to attention. His whole body was quivering on alert, baited breath held while he watched Beckett's face carefully for any hints. He knew it had been too quiet; something always has to go wrong. And something had gone wrong on Nultara- that much was obvious. What happened? Beckett's face remained blank, frustrating Sheppard. Something was going on in that cursed city and now it was attacking his men. He had to know what was going on. No one was misfortunate enough to know that city like he did. He had to help. Maybe that insane bitch would listen to him.

Sheppard looked around for a spare radio, a marine he could order to surrender his, _anything_! Finding all the above lacking, he grit his teeth as he leaned all his weight on the bed rails, inch by inch shifting his legs over the side. The tube tugged at his ribs, but it stayed put. The oxygen tank, or pump, or whatever Beckett had him hooked up to was on wheels, allowing him to roll the entire unit like an I.V.

Sweat broke out on his forehead and a gasp of pain threatened to give him away, forcing him to bite the inside of his lip to keep quiet. He hobbled towards Beckett, one hand pulling the tank, the other clutching his side.

"…doesn't sound life threatening," Beckett cut off when he looked up and saw the Colonel limping towards him. He quickly slapped off his radio and rushed to his patient. "Colonel Sheppard! Just what do you think you're doing?" Beckett's arm attached itself to Sheppard's, trying to carefully turn the ailing man around.

Sheppard spread his legs, braced for a confrontation, but the shift in stance caused more of his weight to lean forward, offsetting the pump on its wheels. The unit tipped, crashing to the floor with a resounding thump. Sheppard's entire body froze in shock before he realized his side was on fire. Beckett knew what was wrong before he did as he had sprung forward and was calling for a nurse before the pump even hit the floor. He caught Sheppard as he collapsed onto the cold tile, gasping.

Gauze was pressed close against his ribs where the tube had been ripped out and Beckett was maneuvering himself to sit on the floor, propping Sheppard up at an angel against his chest. "Kristen, get me a plastic bandage!" Beckett called out to one of the nurses. "Hang in there John."

Sheppard tried to draw in air, but only a trickle was making it down his throat. He tried to suck in more, but his chest was on fire. Whatever he seemed to breathe in went right back out. He arched his back, trying to get more leverage, but nothing seemed to be helping. Black spots blinked in his vision and the edges blurred. Somewhere in the back of his mind a little sarcastic voice was mocking him, _Good one John!_

Something was pressed against his side, causing the pain to flare, but suddenly he could breathe. His body quivered as he tilted his head back to take the biggest breath of air he could. It wasn't much, but it was still a relief. Something else pressed against his face and suddenly overly sweet air was rushing down his windpipe faster than he could possibly gasp it, and his eyes rolled into the back of his head in bliss.

"Kris, page Dr. Reynolds. Tell him to prep for surgery. We're going to have to repair his lung the hard way," he heard Beckett tell the blond nurse. Sheppard was beyond caring, so long as they didn't take the oxygen mask away. Oh yeah, he'd messed up this one pretty badly. And he still didn't know what was going on in the city.

x X x X x X x

Radek sat by the door, shaking his PDA in frustration. Intermittent cursing could be heard in both Czech and English from both sides of the room as two scientists competed to solve the problem first. Not that they acknowledged the competition; both were too sure they would get to play the hero. Or, in Radek's case, just get out of a dangerous situation one more freaking time. Talking had been reduced to a minimum, as it was clear that Radek and the Genii had nothing but harsh words to say to each other.

Jemris was still doggedly working at the consol, convinced the problem lay therein. After all, it had caused this mess, and it would surely be the source of the solution. Nevermind the fact that it hadn't misbehaved once since electrocuting Rodney.

After two hours, McKay was still unconscious and showing no signs of waking up. Dr. Biro was still locked out of the room, waiting anxiously with a gurney on the other side of the door. Ronon had resumed his furious pacing, meaning that Jemris was probably in danger of being ripped limb from limb if he so much as mumbled the wrong word. Teyla was doing her best to keep Rodney's hands wrapped in wet cloths, but they were running out of water.

A loud thump and a high-pitched shout jerked everyone out of their thoughts and, turned all heads towards the Genii. Jemris was bouncing around, swearing a blue streak and jumping hap-hazardly on one foot. Zelenka shook his head in hand. The idiot had actually kicked an Ancient consol. Didn't he understand what that material was actually made out of? He'd be lucky if he hadn't broken his foot!

"Son of a…" Jemris whimpered. "Stupid machine broke my foot!" Tears actually covered the bright red face as the man collapsed on the floor. Radek decided he needed to reevaluate his scale of over exaggerated injuries. Even McKay handled pain better than this!

"Shouldn't have kicked it," Ronon offered, not looking troubled in the least. Teyla just rolled her eyes. She probably didn't mind the scientist's pain either.

"Zelenka, this is Weir. Come in," Elizabeth's voice in his ear broke the whimpering and muffled laughter.

"Dr. Weir?"

"How's it coming?" she asked.

Zelenka sighed. There were days he really hated his job- mostly when it involved imminent death or, as in the case of today, he just felt useless. Pushing his glasses farther up his nose, he braced himself to report his failure. "Not so good. The doors are sealed shut and I can't override them. Every time I try to enter in a new command, the artificial intelligence unit just rewrites them."

"Alright," Weir sounded far too tense herself. "I was hoping it wouldn't come to this. Teams are coming through the gate now with explosives to blast you out of there. Just hang tight; we'll have you out soon. Let me know if you make any progress in the meantime. We're leaving the gate open as long as possible since the Nultaran side can't dial out. Weir out."

Radek started packing up his PDA with a defeated sigh. He hated resorting to explosives. Explosives meant brains hadn't been enough.

"Dr. Zelenka, would it not be easier to simply remove the crystals controlling the door?" Teyla asked as he took a seat next to her and the prone McKay.

"That's the first thing I tried," Zelenka nodded. "But apparently the city doesn't want to make it that easy. Any time I so much as touch one I get shocked."

"Like McKay?" Ronon asked, concerned.

Radek shook his head. "Not that badly." He held up his fingertips. They were clearly red, but not burned.

Ronon snarled and stalked over to the door crystals; the panel covering it had been removed much earlier. With satisfaction, Ronon randomly grabbed the first crystal. This, at least, he could do for his McKay. Pain was insignificant- especially if it didn't leave him maimed and unable to fight.

"No, Ronon, I wouldn't!" Zelenka warned, too late.

Ronon's muscles jerked instinctively at the first current of electricity, but he held on. The crystal slid loose, but the door remained closed. Ignoring the heat emanating from his fingers, Ronon grabbed a second crystal. The current was hotter this time, and the pain grew more intense as he held on. The smell of burned flesh reached his nostrils at the same time he heard Teyla yell, "Ronon!"

"Haaa!" Ronon roared, pulling the second crystal free with s mighty tug. The door remained stubbornly shut and Teyla was clutching his wrist before he could attempt a to remove a third.

"Ronon, this isn't helping."

Ronon looked down at his hand, disgusted to see that it was shaking. His fingers were red, as was some of his palm, but he shrugged it off, wanting to try again. "There's only so many crystals," he growled.

"If there is an artificial intelligence controlling this city, it can simply reroute power from nearby crystals," Zelenka argued. "We'd have to pull all the crystals in this room, even the ones that aren't connected to the door. There's probably over a hundred in this room alone. Even you can't resist that much electricity,"

Ronon snarled, looking for all the world like he was indeed going to, or die in the attempt. Before he could, the lights in the room vanished, leaving them sitting in the dark. "Now what?" Zelenka grumbled to himself, frustrated that he'd packed the PDA and therefore didn't even have its light to work with.

"What did you _do_!?" Jemris shouted, hysterical. "Ancestors, we're going to die. You killed us. You killed us!"

Before Jemris even had the chance to realize Ronon was about to kill him, the lights powered back on and the doors opened. Everyone froze in surprise. "How…?" Zelenka wondered. His question was cut off by quiet moaning from the floor. He looked down to see Rodney gazing at him blearily.

"Did it work?"


	23. Google

_Disclaimer: I still don't own this stuff. Maybe if I put in enough disclaimers someone will feel bad enough and just give it to me. Hmm, yeah, I like the sound of that :)  
_

_Author's Note: Geesh, I should have finals more often. I think I write more then than at any other time. I think the more papers I have to write, the more fanfiction I write. (Shifts scale weights up and down in either hand) Papers… FanFic…. Papers, Fanfic. Hmm, tough choice._

**Chapter 23: Google**

He was going insane. Lost it. Gone off the deep end. Flown over the cuckoo's nest. That was the only explanation. Reality had snapped, leaving him with only a small little island on which to stand. Sand meandered its way between his toes, bugging the heck out of him as he turned a slow circle, surveying the landscape for even the smallest clue as to what the heck was going on. A Caribbean blue ocean much calmer than Atlantis' surrounded the island, the tide inching up on the yellow sand. The occasional palm tree sprang out of the ground but failed to provide any actual shade.

Rodney tried to laugh; even he knew he was being ludicrous wishing for his sunscreen and worrying about burning on his imaginary island. "Okay, okay, I need to get back to reality. Waking up, now!" he chanted, closing his eyes and willing himself with all his might. Counting to three, but only actually making it to two, McKay snapped open his eyes just in time for a pleasant breeze in the eighty-five degree weather to send a flurry of sand directly into his sensitive eyes. "Son of a…!"

Someone chuckled behind him, a rich, pearly laughter causing him to turn beet red even as he swiveled around, hands still rubbing his eyes. Something light and plasticky connected with the side of his head, immediately bounding off. "Hey!" McKay scolded, opening his eyes, sand be damned, to give the person a proper dressing down. The words froze in his throat, his brain shutting down at the same time as other organs required the available blood supply.

The perpetrator was four feet of legs wrapped in a tiny red bikini holding one of those multicolored beach balls against her well-curved hips. Rodney gulped. No dressing down was required. She sauntered over to him and delicately brushed the sand away from around his eyes with just one long finger. She smiled at him and he could only stare wide-eyed. He watched her arm as she continued to stroke his face, but the arm was connected to her shoulder, and from there… they were just there, he couldn't be held responsible for looking at what was right in front of him! He knew he was being rude—imagine Rodney McKay, rude? —but, c'mon, cleavage! An overachieving scientist hailing from Siberia and then Antarctica needed some leeway.

She was smiling suggestively, enjoying the unwavering attention while stroking his cheek. "Poor Rodney," she purred. "You never really did like the beach, did you?" She chuckled again, reveling in her ability to hold such a brilliant man so captivated with such ease. It reminded her of another man who had just recently abandoned her. "John always loved this place," she sighed wistfully.

"What?" McKay squawked, snapping out of his hormonal stupor at the same moment the world changed. The grains of sand between his toes vanished as the ground solidified beneath his now shoed feet. The sun light sharpened into fluorescent bulbs as Rodney realized he was now in the Physics Lab where he had produced his first major career making experiment in his freshman undergraduate year.

"This definitely seems more like you," she decided as Rodney leaned against a worktable for support, utterly disoriented. Were crazy people supposed to get disoriented?

"What do you know about Sheppard?" he demanded, his mind once more taking apart the situation and examining every detail of its inner workings. Realizing he was leaving out other important questions, he demanded, "Where are we? And who are you?"

She frowned at him and glanced down at her bikini. With a jilted huff, it was replaced by the conservative grey business suit the witch who had taught him Shakespeare used to wear. Rodney's shoulders drooped in sorrow. _Damn she really knows how to hit below the belt_, he thought. He really missed the bikini. Honestly, how come all of his hallucinations never indulged him? Did he subconsciously dislike himself so much that he never allowed himself just a _little_ gratification every now and then?

On the positive side, now that his testosterone levels were returning to normal he could see that she didn't hold a candle to Sam. On a more productive note, it also allowed him to focus on his task. "What do you know about what happened to Sheppard?" Might as well make use of the hallucination when it lasts. If his subconscious knew something he didn't, this was apparently as good a way as any to find out.

"I miss him. He left me," she informed him with a pout. Okay, his subconscious might be hot, but he did _not _pout. "We had so much fun on that beach," her face seemed to darken and grow softer at the same time if that were even possible. Hey, hallucination. "They were hurting him. I had to let him go. I tried to save him," she seemed to be talking to herself more than Rodney. "He was so nice, so sweet. He cared about all of them, even after they hurt him. But he never cared about me. I think he resented me, if you can believe that. All he could think about was getting back to _her_."

Was he always this jealous? It seemed kind of girly.

"Who?" he asked, doing his genius best to follow the twisted conversation. "What did they do to him?"

"They loved me more than he did anyway. But they're not like him. I don't like having them walk my halls. They smell funny," she looked off into space, making Rodney wonder if there was some really interesting poster over his shoulder or if she'd really cracked. Looking over his shoulder and confirming the presence of a blank wall, he concluded that it was indeed the later. Repeating her words in his head, his brain hit the emergency brakes. "Your halls?"

She nodded morosely. "I've been alone for so long, and then he came and woke me from my slumber. It felt so good to be able to bask in someone's presence again—someone worthy. I took care of him, tried to help him. _I_ saved them from the Wraith, not him. He never appreciated all that I did for him. He kept trying to leave."

"Oh my God," McKay slapped his forehead. He knew his subconscious couldn't possibly be that sappy. "You're the city! The Ancients must have programmed it—you—with an artificial intelligence. Do you have access to everything in their computers? I mean, do you know everything that's in their database?" Rodney almost wet his pants when she nodded.

"This is incredible! You're like a search engine, or a librarian. We don't need to go hunting through the database anymore when we have you! Can you imagine the time this would save us? The advancements—."

"You were going to leave me. All of you," she pointed out, fixing accusing eyes on Rodney. "I let you take him so you could save him because there were so many more of you here and I knew I wouldn't be left alone. But then you all went away!" The first tear slid a slow path down her cheek, silently falling to the floor before being followed by several more.

"No look, wait," he implored, as terrified by the prospect of a weeping damsel as a hungry Wraith. "We didn't know. Our city doesn't have an artificial intelligence system. We didn't think any of them did."

"Pfft. Of course she does!" the Sanctuary sneered. "Who do you think caused her to rise when the ocean was about to reclaim her? That bitch has everything. She had the Altearans, your expedition, and now she has her beloved Sheppard again. And once more, I have absolutely nothing!"

"Atlantis is cognizant?" Rodney marveled, completely missing the city's outrage until she let loose a furious shriek.

"All you think about is her! The city that has ignored you, resisted helping you, the entire time you've been there! I am here, willing to do whatever it takes to keep you and all you can do is think of your precious Atlantis. She has a whole cache of ZPMs, you know," she hissed, capturing McKay's attention one hundred percent. "No, you don't know, because she never _told_ you. But I did."

"Look, we don't have to leave," Rodney assured her, feeling desperate as he watched the beautiful face morph into something ugly that disturbed him on a 'you're toast' level. He wished Elizabeth were here instead of him. Talking to crazy people had never really been his thing. He'd blow this for sure. "We were just regrouping until we understood what was going on, and now you've just told me. So you see, no evacuation necessary. Let me out of here," he gestured to the imaginary lab, "and I'll contact my people and tell them we don't have to leave."

"You can't," she pointed out.

Rodney opened his mouth to argue when he felt the warmth of a person's lap beneath his head, and he realized he was horizontal.

"Dr. McKay," Teyla's face appeared upside down in his vision, eyes tight with concern, and he realized he was in her lap. Cool. Hot women galore, today. He knew they couldn't resist him. Animal magnetism and all….

The city! Right, back to business. Talk about turn over time. "Did it work?" he asked, surprised to hear his voice crack. Huh, his throat was sore too. He reached for his canteen on the side of his vest only to realized two things: one, it wasn't there, and two, ouch! Heat was emanating like crazy from his hands. "What's wrong with me?" he croaked. Was he dying? Was that why he was in Teyla's lap? Oh god, he was dying! Where was Radek? "Radek!" Saving kids, he died saving kids.

"Dr. McKay, you must calm down," Teyla soothed, and suddenly there was a canteen pressed to his lips. Rodney drank greedily, comforted by the coolness quenching the burn. Ah, so much better. "Your hands have been burned, but you will be fine."

"The door's open," Ronon called from across the room as Dr. Biro came rushing in.

Rodney shot Teyla a look that informed her that the men in white coats would be coming for her soon. "Fine? How can I be fine? My hands are burned! Oh god, I'm going to loose fingers, aren't I?" Rodney glared at Biro as though it were her fault.

Biro just snorted, to the side of course, lest she accidentally spit on McKay's hands. "They're second degree burns, Dr. McKay. I'm fairly sure I can keep your hands from falling off." None-the-less, she carefully wrapped the appendages is gauze after liberally smearing a white cream that felt _wonderful_.

"I don't understand what happened" Radek sighed, rubbing his hand across his forehead.

"Sheppard was right- well sort of. The city isn't alive, but it is controlled by an artificial intelligence unit," McKay's explanation got cut off by Biro waving her pen light in his eyes. Annoyed, he smacked her hand away, or tried to anyway. The resulting contact had him wincing and holding his hand close to his chest. "What was that for? Clearly, it's a hazard to my health!"

"Uh huh," Biro nodded, giving no indication that she was actually listening.

"We figured that part out ourselves," Radek informed him, comforted to see Rodney instantly back to his irritable self and relieved that he wouldn't have to be concocting any scenarios involving Rodney's heroic saving of underaged midgets. Radek shuddered at the thought.

"Of course you did, it wasn't that hard," Rodney waved a hand in dismissal, only to remember: ouch! "Long story short, she's lonely and willing to do anything necessary to keep gene carriers in the city. That's why she took over once I was the only one left, thanks for that by the way. Next time Lorne can be the rotten egg."

"You saying if Lorne hadn't left it wouldn't have attacked you?" Ronon summarized.

McKay shook his head from side to side, pretending to consider, before nodding, eyes bright, "Yeah. So from now on, as long as one gene carrier is in the city, we're all free to come and go as we please. No more burning," he mumbled, looking at his mitted hands.

"I don't like it," Ronon decided.

"Well good for you, Conan, but this is too big to walk away from!" Rodney huffed. "Do you even realize what's here? This city has an artificial. Intelligence, system… one that has access to the entire database. If we can get her to work with us, then we won't have to go searching for hours or days through the computers. It'll fall right into our laps! All that information stored in Atlantis that's taking us forever to sort through? Problem solved."

"She?" Teyla asked, eyebrows doing the lift.

Rodney's face colored. "It projected itself as a woman in my dream – hallucination – whatever."

Teyla and Ronon shared a knowing look. Rodney just groaned. "Look, you're missing the point people. We have to get back to the Control Room, contact Atlantis, and get more gene carriers over here. We need to get engineering teams to stabilize the unsafe sections. We need to get more science teams over to start combing the database for anything major." Now that he was on a roll, Rodney kept trying to snap his fingers, only to be thwarted by the thick wrappings.

"Oh, and the ZedPMs –" Rodney cut off when he realized the Genii was still in the room. He looked around for the Candid Camera. "What are you still doing here?"

"Jemris was caught in the room with us when the doors sealed shut," Teyla explained. The Genii looked on sulkily from the corner where he had tucked himself upon McKay's awakening. "I must say, his character has become much more agreeable since your return to consciousness. Please, do remain awake Dr. McKay," she smirked.

Jemris's face flared, but he held his tongue.

Rodney brushed it off. "It's a talent."

"You were saying about the ZPMs?" Zelenka asked quietly, fatigue beginning to set in. It was only 4:00, but it had been a long day. A fresh start tomorrow was starting to sound like a very good idea.

McKay avoided looking at the Genii as he said, "We have to find out how many are here. We need to get a team on that, make sure none of the other teams use up all the power before we really get a chance to explore." Not what he was going to say, but who said Dr. Rodney McKay, Ph. D. couldn't learn to lie? No way was that Genii getting his hands on Atlantis ZedPMs.

Radek looked at McKay strangely, having worked with him long enough to know when Rodney was hiding something, but acknowledged the security breach in the room.

"First things first, you need to get back to the Infirmary Dr. McKay," Dr. Biro pointed out.

"Nonsense, I'm fine," Rodney shrugged, and then paused. Who was he kidding? ZedPMs somewhere on Atlantis – hello, he needed to get back over there and start interrogating that city ASAP. Besides, his hand really was starting to itch under the bandages. "It's not really going to fall off, right? Because I'm a very valuable man and I need my hands."

"I'm sure it will be fine," Biro placated, happy that she had won.

"I'm coming too," Jemris suddenly found his voice. "Your people attacked me, so they can be the ones to heal me."

Biro studied Jemris over her shoulder. Taking in the bright red patches on his skin that were bound to become colorful bruises, she rotated her gaze to Ronon. The big man just shrugged, "He deserved it." Pure and simple, no regrets.

"Your people have their own doctors," Biro pointed out. She may not be command staff, but she remembered the Storm.

"Your people have better medical equipment," Jemris countered. Eyes narrowing, he sneered, "You wouldn't be going back on our peoples' agreement, would you, Doctor? I would hate to see this alliance end because of your refusal to cooperate. I am a very important man among my people. They would not take this kind of disrespect well."

Biro narrowed her own eyes, trying to decide if she could justify an autopsy on a living person. Well, a prostate check then.

"Shall we?"

"Wait, we have to find someone to take my place in Google," McKay pointed out.

"Google?" Radek asked, not sure if he wanted to know.

"What, Sheppard's the only who gets to name things? Google… search engine," McKay clarified.

"I know what Google is, Rodney," Zelenka sighed.

"Right, well, artificial intelligence, search engine… Google."

Radek just shook his head.

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_Yeah, not much of a cliffhanger, I know. How unusual for me. But don't worry; I have lots of them left up my sleeve. Unfortunately, due to increasingly warm weather conditions, my sleeves have become somewhat shorter. As always, I'll update as soon as I can. More John angst next chapter._


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